Amtrak’s “Pacific Surfliner” trains now run on renewable diesel fuel, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the service. The 351-mile route, which California funds, carried more than 1.6 million riders in fiscal year 2022, making it Amtrak’s most popular state-supported service.
Outside the Northeast Corridor and a route in Pennsylvania from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, all Amtrak trains are powered by diesel locomotives, which emit greenhouse gases and fine particulate matter that can cause health problems. Pacific Surfliner trains will use fuel that is chemically similar to diesel but made from materials such as used cooking oil. According to LOSSAN, using renewable diesel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63% throughout its lifecycle, potentially cutting fine particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions.
“The adoption of renewable diesel for our Pacific Surfliner service is an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to environmental preservation and the fight against climate change,” said Jewel Edson, Chair of the LOSSAN Agency Board of Directors, in a statement.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the net supply of renewable diesel has soared in the last decade from 58 million gallons in 2011 to nearly 1.9 billion gallons last year. But the International Energy Agency says demand for renewable diesel and other biofuels may soon outpace supply. “Fuels made from wastes and residues are in particularly high demand because they satisfy GHG and feedstock policy objectives in the United States and Europe,” according to a 2022 IEA report.
According to a LOSSAN spokesperson, no changes were needed for the locomotives to run on renewable diesel, and the cost per gallon is comparable to fossil-fuel-derived diesel fuel. The spokesperson said passengers will not notice any difference in riding these trains.
The California Department of Transportation, Amtrak, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority and other entities collaborated to allow LOSSAN to adopt renewable diesel for this route. California also aims to cut harmful diesel emissions from older freight locomotives and diesel trucks.
