Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Keolis pilot renewable diesel for commuter rail

Photo: Keolis

Keolis Commuter Services, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s operations and maintenance partner for the commuter rail, announced May 14 that it has launched an alternative-fuel pilot utilizing renewable diesel for some locomotives.

Usage of renewable diesel will cut emissions and reduce the system’s carbon footprint, helping the commonwealth reach emissions-reduction goals.

Developed in partnership with the MBTA, the pilot includes all locomotives that lay over at the Newburyport commuter-rail facility, which are now being fueled with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

HVO is a much more sustainable alternative as it’s made from vegetable oil and animal fats and emits less carbon than fossil diesel.

“We’re pleased to partner with Keolis on this renewable diesel pilot as we continuously seek ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Phillip Eng, MBTA’s general manager and CEO.

“Testing alternative-fuel sources for our commuter-rail fleet joins other efforts at the T to lower our carbon emissions, and we look forward to evaluating the results of the pilot as we continue to increase resiliency across the system,” Eng added.

“The T” is how locals refer to MBTA.

“Getting people out of their cars and onto the train is a great first step, and we need to do more if we are going to reach the commonwealth’s emissions goals,” said Abdellah Chajai, CEO and general manager of Keolis.

“This pilot program is a great opportunity to utilize an innovative new approach and can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 70 percent for these locomotives compared to fossil diesel,” Chajai added. “We’re pleased to partner with the MBTA to make this pilot project a success.”

According to Keolis, so far it has seen steady locomotive performance with the use of renewable diesel.

At the end of the pilot program, Keolis and MBTA will evaluate the performance of the renewable fuel and decide if it can be expanded to other locations across the commuter-rail system.

Renewable diesel allows the MBTA and Keolis to more rapidly make strides towards cutting the commuter rail’s carbon footprint with the existing fleet.

Keolis Commuter Services has operated and maintained MBTA’s commuter-rail system, the sixth-largest commuter-rail operation in North America, for over 10 years.

KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America, both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 people throughout the region.

KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group, a global leader in transit services with more than a century of passenger-transportation experience and operations in 13 countries.