Coalition for Sustainable Rail announces biofuels-based, high-speed locomotive project

In Minnesota, the Coalition for Sustainable Rail announced plans to develop the world’s first carbon-neutral higher-speed locomotive. The goal of CSR Project 130 is to create the world’s cleanest, most powerful passenger locomotive, proving the viability of solid biofuel and modern steam locomotive technology, and will aim to break the world record for steam locomotive speed, reaching 130 miles per hour.

The locomotive will run on torrefied biomass, or biocoal, created from cellulosic biomass, with the same energy density and material handling properties as coal, but carbon-neutral, containing no heavy metals, and producing less ash, smoke and volatile off-gases. CSR’s preliminary test results shows that it will cost less to maintain, less fuel and it has greater performance than a diesel-electric locomotive currently available.