Canada’s first-ever battery-powered switching locomotive unveiled

Cando Rail and Terminals developed a zero-emission train. It says the lithium-ion train has a 10-year life cycle, similar to a diesel locomotive.

It’s the first lithium-ion locomotive in Canada, produced right in Alberta by the team at Cando Rail and Terminals.

In partnership with Emission Reduction Canada, who contributed 50 per cent of total costs, the company says it’s a groundbreaking innovation in Canadian rail.

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“Lithium-ion locomotives are truly for inside of a yard operation because you don’t have access to continuous electricity as we transport across Canada,” said Brian Cornick, president and CEO of Cando Rail and Terminals.

Diesel-electric locomotives are a staple in the railway industry.

With this new addition, the battery is energized through a pantograph system.

It’s the first zero-emission version of its kind. Operators hope to see a reduction on maintenance costs.

Cando Rail and Terminals currently has 110 diesel-electric locomotives in its fleet but over the next few decades said the plan is to swap them out for lithium-ion locomotives.

The range of the locomotive is dependent on the load.

The company says charging the battery is no different than an electric vehicle.

“Same thing here. The guys go on a lunch break, they’ll just charge it up, so it’ll constantly be going,” Cornick said.

Canada’s harsh weather is not a concern.

“I feel really confident that we’re good here in Alberta,” he added. The locomotive was operationalized in Manitoba to withstand minus 40 C weather.

Their plan and hopes are to have a manufacturing plant in Alberta to help develop a fleet of battery-operated locomotives in the next five to ten years.