the agency to save 860,000 gallons of fuel. Train and engine crews
shut down the Head End Power (HEP) engines, the components
that power the car lights and air conditioners, when trains are not in
service. When train sets are stored overnight and on weekends, the
locomotive main and HEP engines are shut off and the train set is
connected to Wayside Power, which is power supplied by the local
electric utility, instead of using power supplied by the HEP engines.
our impact. For example, in April 2012, Metrolink put into practice a pilot plug-in program at its Central
Maintenance Facility in Los Angeles to reduce electrical power consumption and emissions generated by
locomotive engines. The plug-in power the agency uses allows trains to operate from ground power during a
part of Metrolink's daily servicing and maintenance routine instead of relying solely on locomotive power.
transportation:
to go green, but it has also
encouraged its employees to be
environmentally friendly from day
one. As of 2012, 66 percent of
Metrolink employees ride public
transportation to work, compared
to the 2010 national average of 5
percent.