Tuesday January 8, 5:55 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Railpower Technologies Corp.
via BCE Emergis e-News Services
RailPower Technologies Corp. - US Railroad Giant Union Pacific Leases 'Green Goat(TM)' Hybrid Switcher Locomotive For California
Vancouver, British Columbia
The largest railroad in the US, Union Pacific Railroad, an operating subsidiary of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP - news), has signed a 1-year demonstration lease for RailPower Technologies Corp's (CDNX: P) 'Green Goat(TM)', it was announced today. The hybrid yard switcher locomotive will be based at UP's yards in Roseville, near Sacramento, California.
Michael E. Iden, General Director, Car and Locomotive Engineering, Union Pacific Railroad, said, ``UP is constantly looking at ways to operate more cost effectively and to improve the environment by reducing locomotive exhaust emissions. The Green Goat switcher offers the opportunity for substantial operating cost advantages through lower fuel usage, lower maintenance and higher productivity. Union Pacific has looked at several options for replacing our aging switcher fleet and the Green Goat has the strong advantage of having a capital cost that makes sense to the railroad for a 20-year solution. Importantly, it also has no impact on our fueling infrastructure as both its two generator modalities -conventional engine and microturbine use standard diesel fuel.''
RailPower President, Gerard Koldyk, stated, ``The Green Goat was created to provide a long term superior economic solution for yard switching that would also meet and exceed all the existing and contemplated North American emissions requirements for the railroads. Our strategy is to focus on the immediate markets of environmental sensitivity in California, Texas and New York and then broaden out to general fleet operations and industrial applications.''
Koldyk said the Green Goat's development has been timely. ``The switcher fleet is aging and major railroads are looking at a 20-year answer that is economically sound and solves all environmental concerns. Considerable interest has been generated in the Green Goat. We are priced very competitively. We have the performance and, perhaps most important of all, we have a technology that will deliver operating cost savings we believe will be in excess of 30% compared to conventional switchers. This is RailPower's final stage of its Green Goat R & D and we are encouraged by UP's financial commitment to the program.''
RailPower Technologies Corp., of Vancouver, Canada, is a leader in specialized energy technology systems for transportation and power generation. In addition to its patented mainline and switcher locomotive technologies, it is developing rDirect power conditioning technology for distributed and remote power generation technologies such as microturbines.
Union Pacific Corporation is one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. With competitive long-haul routes between all major West Coast ports and eastern gateways, and as the only railroad to serve all six gateways to Mexico, UP has the premier rail franchise in North America.


Contact: Gerard Koldyk, RailPower 604 687 8415
John Bromley, UP 402 271 3475

SOURCE: Railpower Technologies Corp.