Home  News Local News Tri-Rail to use bio-diesel fuel
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Tri-Rail to use bio-diesel fuel |
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Sunday, 02 November 2008 |
One of South Florida’s public transportation giants, Tri-Rail, is going green! At a West Palm Beach press conference on Wednesday morning, the South Florida Transportation Authority announced that the commuter train that plies between Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties is to soon begin operating on a much more environmentally friendly blend of bio-diesel.
The word from Tri-Rail officials is that the railway is to run eight of 10 Tri-Rail locomotives on a 99-percent blend of either palm or soy oil, depending on the availability. This will result in significant savings compared to using diesel oil. Although the locomotives will use 7 percent more fuel when operating on bio-diesel, this fuel costs approximately 30 cents per gallon less than diesel fuel.
Besides the cost-saving factor, bio-diesel is kinder to the environment, as it produces less carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon emissions which usually pollute the atmosphere and are also less likely to the soil should there be a significant fuel spill.
Unlike most other rail systems in the nation, Tri-Rail is fortunate to operate in a temperate climate like South Florida’s which is more suitable to locomotives that operate on such a pure blend of bio-fuel.
At the press conference the Federal Transit Administration praised the SFTA for taking an important step toward energy independence. The FTA Administrator, James S. Simpson said, ''The Federal Transit Administration is committed to encouraging the use of alternative fuels in the nation's rail and bus systems.'' It was the FTA who paid for the bio-diesel compatible locomotives and for the required bio-diesel fuel research tests at the Southwest Research Center in San Antonio.
Bio-diesel will be used in Tri-Rail's eight conventional train sets. The two Diesel Multiple Units will continue to operate on standard diesel fuel, due to warranty restrictions.
It was also announced at the press-conference that over 50 million riders have used the railway since it began operations almost 20 years ago in January, 1989.
In another environmental matter it was reported by the Associated Press that Florida could be adapting California's very high standards for auto and light truck emissions. The report stated that Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the state’s environmentalists are in favor of the advanced emission standards as this means cleaner air and more fuel-efficient vehicles, and reduce greenhouse gases blamed for climate change.
On the other hand, car manufacturers oppose the higher standard, claiming that they are not technically feasible; they would increase car prices and reduce the availability of certain vehicles in Florida.
The state's Environmental Regulation Commission is expected to vote on the standards this week. However, even it is approved it would be years before the new standard is implemented, as it would have to go through a lengthy legislative and legal processes.
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