Launching a New Approach to Leasing Like-New Locomotives

Letter from CEO, Phil Puccia:
Introducing Rolling Stock Solutions

It’s every commuter rail operator’s primary mission to get passengers to their destination safely and on time. With my background having served as Deputy General Manager and Chief of Staff of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), I understand this mission and its associated challenges given current industry circumstances.

There is a clear locomotive power deficit in the transit industry today that makes this mission more complex and expensive. 

Fleets are aging out and becoming less reliable, and the procurement cycle for new power operations averages 8 to 10 years. During this waiting period, transit managers face expensive maintenance on existing locomotives and the potential for a degraded level of service, and overhauls and other long-term investments are put on hold. Over the past decade, the industry has experienced a 50% increase in overall maintenance spend and a 33% increase in average maintenance cost per passenger mile.

Recognizing these challenges, I and several of my industry peers sought to develop a solution to help transit leaders bridge the gap as they wait out procurement. We wanted to design an interim option that would empower agencies to provide reliable service at a reasonable cost, quickly and easily. We also wanted our locomotives to help agencies achieve their environmental and agency goals sooner, and stretch their capital budgets to pursue new opportunities.

That is what led to the development of Rolling Stock Solutions.

Rolling Stock Solutions brings a team of proven industry executives together in partnership with Alternate Concepts, Inc., industry professionals who have managed operations for agencies around the country, Adelphi Capital, a seasoned group of successful infrastructure investors, and Cad Railway Industries Ltd., a proven vendor with deep experience remanufacturing and delivering our chosen locomotive model, the F40PH.  

Our goal is to provide a flexible, affordable lease that delivers reliable, clean, upgraded locomotives in real-time to solve real-time service delivery challenges. 

In partnership with CadRI, we’re fully remanufacturing F40PH locomotives and upgrading them to be cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient and more reliable than units on the rails today. We chose this model because it’s well-known and proven, making integration and maintenance simpler and more affordable for transit rail agencies. These F40PH models will be fully transformed into Tier 0+ locomotives that are ready for the rails.

We’re giving these units a new, 20+ year lease on life and making them available on duration-flexible leases. We’re equipping the locomotives with brand-new Tier 4 HEP units for a 40% reduction in NOx emissions and a substantial reduction in noise emissions during operations. This helps agencies get more environmentally friendly units in their fleet sooner, so they can reach environmental goals faster while procurement continues.

Importantly, we wanted our locomotives to be Buy America certified. In meeting the requirements of the Federal Transit Administration with our locomotives and our leasing platform, transit leaders can both use the locomotives and can apply FTA dollars to pay for the lease. This gives them the flexibility to stretch their limited capital dollars. 

I’ve always been intrigued by public service and, in particular, moving people day to day to their job and education. Our team understands that the mission of getting your passengers to their destinations safely and on time is more challenging than ever before. With Rolling Stock Solutions, you can provide the service you want to deliver in a simpler, more affordable and flexible manner.

Ready to give your fleet an upgrade? Contact us.