Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 1 awarded $8.7 million to three Marine and Rail Freight Movers Grant Program projects that will replace older diesel-powered switchers with “green” power…

• U.S. Steel Corp. (Allegheny County, Pa.): $4,529,104 to improve air quality and reduce emissions by scrapping two older diesel-powered switchers that were built in 1964 and 1974, and replacing them with new lithium-ion, battery-electric locomotives. U.S. Steel Corp. operates the Clairton Steel Works and coke plant, where metallurgical coke is produced from coal. U.S. Steel also operates the Edgar Thompson Plant, where high-carbon steel is produced. The Clairton Plant currently operates a switcher fleet of two diesel-powered units, and the Edgar Thompson Plant operates a switcher fleet of eight diesel-powered units.

• Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Co. (B&LER, owned by CN; Mercer County, Pa.): $2,900,000 to replace an older diesel-powered switcher built in 1973 with a new lithium-ion, battery-electric unit. B&LER operates a fleet of six long-haul locomotives and four switchers.
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