Railroad groups sue California as the state pushes for zero-emissions for locomotives

Associations representing the railroad sector submitted a legal claim against a state department in California due to the regulations that require the replacement of current locomotives for zero-emissions ones - a technology that, according to the industry, isn't prepared yet.

The California Air Resources Board proposed a regulation that would require rail companies to retire over 25,000 locomotives ahead of schedule. The Association of American Railroads and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the organizations responsible for the lawsuit, claim this regulation would be mandatory.

The AAR president, Ian Jefferies, revealed that while railroads have teamed up with the CARB to mitigate emissions, locomotives propelled by batteries and fuel cells are still in their experimental phase and presently not for sale. According to the rail associations, this technology needs further testing.

Jefferies stated in an email that although it is necessary to take action quickly, CARB is using incorrect and unfair assumptions to promote a regulation that will not effectively reduce emissions.

In transporting goods across long distances from the West Coast to other parts of the United States, railways play a key role. BNSF Railway Co., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and Union Pacific Corp. are the major players in the market, catering to the West Coast.