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6/4/2025
Union Pacific Railroad and collaborating partner ZTR will shortly begin testing the first of their six hybrid switch locomotives in a working rail yard, having recently completed early testing and proof of concept at UP's Jenks Locomotive Shop in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
The hybrid locomotives can operate on a traditional diesel engine or stored battery power, with the battery recharging during engine operation. Introduced in 2024, they are the first hybrid battery-electric locomotives within the North American freight rail industry, UP officials said in an article on the railroad's "Inside Track" report.
The next of the remaining five UP-built hybrid locomotives is slated for testing next year.