North American freight operator CSX has committed 670 million dollars (570 million euros) to a locomotive fleet renewal. It’s a commitment that would dwarf most European rolling stock programmes. The agreement with Wabtec covers 100 new main line locomotives and the rebuilding of 50 existing units. It will also see the deployment of digital operating systems. By European standards, where fleet renewals often proceed incrementally, the scale is striking and reflects the different economics of the continent-spanning freight market.
For a railway whose territory runs from Memphis to Maine, and Montreal to Miami (but not Texas), the numbers are less surprising. Long distances, heavy trains and high utilisation reward large, standardised fleets. CSX says the programme will improve fuel efficiency, reliability and operational consistency. Deliveries of the new locomotives are scheduled to begin this year, while rebuilt units are expected to enter traffic from 2027.
Evolution series at the core
Financing the deal should not be a problem. CSX turned over about $15bn in 2025, and cleared about $4bn (see the full report on WorldCargoNews.com). Most operators this side of the Atlantic would just dream of those numbers. With that in mind, the pocket-change order centres on new Evolution Series locomotives, a long-standing North American main line design developed by GE Transportation and now produced by Wabtec. Introduced to meet United States emissions requirements in the mid-2000s, the type replaced the earlier Dash 9 family and has become a staple of heavy haul and intermodal operations. Units are powered by the GEVO diesel engine and can be supplied with either AC or DC traction equipment.
CSX says the new locomotives will offer improved tractive effort and lower fuel consumption while maintaining performance on long-distance services. The emphasis is on steady, predictable output rather than outright power gains. In North American practice, incremental efficiency improvements applied across large fleets can produce significant savings, particularly on corridors handling dense bulk and intermodal traffic. Sustainability and fuel efficiency has been the subject of debate on the North American network (see RailFreight.com feature).
Rebuilding the existing fleet
Alongside the new locomotives, 50 older Dash 9 units will be rebuilt with AC traction equipment. The conversion is intended to extend service life and bring the locomotives into closer technical alignment with newer classes. AC traction is better suited to heavy trains and low-speed operation, offering improved adhesion and reduced maintenance compared with legacy DC systems.
Modernisation programmes of this kind are common in North America. Large fleets justify substantial mid-life investment. For CSX, the approach balances capital expenditure with asset longevity. Rebuilding existing locomotives also allows the railway to introduce updated control systems and diagnostics without waiting for full fleet replacement.
Digital systems and operating efficiency
The agreement includes the installation of “Trip Optimizer with Smart Horsepower per Ton”, an automated driving system designed to manage throttle settings and braking. The technology is intended to support fuel efficiency and more consistent train handling. Such systems are increasingly standard on North American freight railways, where small percentage savings scale rapidly across high-mileage operations.
“Our locomotive fleet is a fundamental element of our safe and reliable railroad,” said Mike Cory, CSX chief operating officer. “Modernising these critical assets strengthens network performance and supports the level of service our customers depend on.” Wabtec added that combining new and modernised locomotives with digital tools would support improvements in fuel performance, operational efficiency and reliability across the network. On a footnote, you do actually sometimes see CSX motive power in Texas – but it’s not gotten lost. They sometimes ‘workthrough’ on customer loads.