Caltrain is selling its old diesel trains to the city of Lima, Peru, for $6 million, a Caltrain spokesman said.
Lima will use 90 gallery cars and 19 diesel locomotives to start a new commuter rail line, Caltrain said.
The U.S. Department of State and the Department of Commerce helped facilitate the deal, the White House said Friday.
Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard was scheduled to be at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima Friday to celebrate.
“This agreement will help Peru embrace a more sustainable future while also bringing millions of dollars to help us keep Caltrain running,” Bouchard said in a statement Caltrain issued Thursday.
The gallery cars and diesel locomotives were built between 1985 and 1987. They were retired in September when Caltrain switched to electric trains as part of a $2.4 billion project.“These trains have a long and proud legacy of service that we’re proud to pass along to the people of Peru,” board chair Dev Davis said.
“The F40s hold a special place in the heart of train enthusiasts, and there’s no better task for them than to keep helping people get where they need to go.”
The trains will be sent to Lima on a ship sometime in early 2025, Caltrain spokesman Dan Lieberman said.
How the hell is continuing to use diesel locomotives sustainable? Why crow about carbon reduction when you’re actually just moving it somewhere else? It’s BS!
absolutely, what a shame. People around the world are phrasing out diesel everything
So we’re shipping our pollution to the Southern hemisphere. How generous of us.
19 engines and 90 cars for a total of only $6 million. No wonder CalTrain keeps asking taxpayers for more money to keep operating.
The amount of carbon required to build/assemble this many trains from scratch outweighs the ongoing CO2 from up-cycling them into Peru. For example, 90% of the CO2 for an iPhone’s life is related to before the customer actually takes possession of the phone. If it’s not grown, it’s mined.
Hold on…you’re telling me that with “high speed rail” $100B in the red and likely not to be delivered in the lifetime of anyone reading this article, that California/CalTrain has the budget to subsidize creating transit in another hemisphere? $6MM doesn’t begin to cover what’s involved here. Charity begins at home…there is no way this will not negatively impact the lives of Californians.
I like the concerns that other commenters have. You guys crying about climate change must be ok with chinas massive emissions? I really don’t understand the logic behind being so vehement about CO2 emissions when other countries are far worse than a set of Caltrain engines. Get a grip you guys.
We all share the same atmosphere and planet. It is like having a “pee”ing end of the swimming pool. Just greenwashing. Similar to Norway shipping its oil elsewhere, while being smug about its EV mamdates.
If it replaces car trips, and it will. trains are far greener. Even if it’s diesel.