Battery Electric Locomotives and Charging Stations

Tacoma Rail, a division of Tacoma Public Utilities, is soliciting proposals for the design, manufacture, and delivery of two fully functioning Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) compliant battery-electric locomotives equipped with reverse pantograph style charging systems. The locomotives must be capable of delivering horsepower and tractive-effort performance equivalent to existing 2,000 horsepower diesel-electric locomotives, with a top speed of 50 MPH and batteries designed to handle environmental, space, and weight considerations while maintaining performance, durability, reliability, and safe operation. The project includes development of two reverse pantograph-style charging stations and a battery balancer/shop charger, with technical specifications including a minimum 750 kW output per charging station capable of achieving full charges in under eight hours.

Key deliverables include FRA-compliant locomotives meeting GP38/GP40 style frame requirements, comprehensive training for Tacoma Rail mechanics, electricians, and emergency responders, detailed documentation including maintenance instruction books, operators manuals, parts books, electrical and pneumatic schematics, and warranty coverage. The scope further requires compliance with Build America Buy America (BABA) requirements, development of a project-specific schedule with quality assurance measures, itemized invoicing segregated by individual locomotive and charger for grant accounting compliance, and battery life expectancy documentation with degradation analysis.

The project is budgeted at $14,000,000 with an anticipated completion date of June 30, 2028. Funding sources include Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Legislative Grant Award from the carbon emissions reduction account (FY-2023 RRB-1311), Department of Ecology, State of Washington (AQVWZEV-2325-TACRai-00028), and the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). All insurance policies except Workers' Compensation must name the State of Washington as an additional insured with primary and non-contributory coverage. Equipment must be placed in revenue service only after obtaining a project-specific Letter of Concurrence from the FRA Chief Safety Officer.

Key dates include pre-submittal questions due by 3:00 PM on May 25, 2026, with responses provided by May 28, 2026. Submittal deadline is July 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, with bid opening and evaluation occurring in July 2026, interviews/presentations scheduled for July 2026, award recommendation in July 2026, and Public Utility Board approval anticipated in August 2026. Charging stations must be delivered a minimum of six months prior to locomotive delivery to allow for civil work completion.