Amtrak Introduces ‘Renewable Diesel’ on Pacific Surfliner

Amtrak will start using ‘renewable’ diesel oil in its Pacific Surfliner trails, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive.

The fuel will come from sources such as used cooking oil, which the Los Angeles—San Diego—San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency claims will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 63 percent throughout its life cycle. “According to a LOSSAN spokesperson, no changes were needed for the locomotives to run on renewable diesel, and the cost per gallon is comparable to fossil-fuel-derived diesel fuel.”

The U.S. Department of Energy says while the net supply of renewable diesel has grown from 58 million gallons in 2011 to almost 1.9 billion in 2022, demand could soon outpace supply as more transit agencies look to replace fossil fuels with other sources. “‘Fuels made from wastes and residues are in particularly high demand because they satisfy GHG and feedstock policy objectives in the United States and Europe,’ according to a 2022 IEA report.”