Cleaner train engine means cleaner air for Solano

Cleaner train engine means cleaner air for Solano
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | November 18, 2009

FAIRFIELD - Capitol Corridor Locomotive 2015 will be emitting half the pollutants next time it makes its way through Fairfield and Suisun City.

The locomotive has had an $826,000 diesel engine overhaul. Another $2.6 million is earmarked to do the same for five of the 17 other Capitol Corridor locomotives.

'Those trains roll through residential neighborhoods in Solano County and the Bay Area,' Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering said Wednesday. 'It means a lot less pollution in those neighborhoods.'

Train smoke contains tiny particles that can get lodged in the lungs, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. That can cause respiratory problems and higher asthma rates.

'We can't move that housing, but we can sure clean up the air,' said Spering, who sits on the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority Board.

Spering doesn't want to stop with six retrofitted trains. Federal funding could be available for further work, he said. He expressed hope that all the Capitol Corridor locomotives can be converted in coming years.

See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.