U.S. Army buys new locomotives to replace aging rail fleet

The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first new locomotives in more than a decade, part of an effort to replace a rail fleet in which more than a third of the active engines are older than their 65-year expected service life.

The Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, known as TACOM, said its rail program has fielded two new locomotives and a track-maintenance vehicle at three installations since October 2025. The command’s goal is to cut the share of locomotives past their expected service life to below 20%, to rein in rising maintenance costs and keep equipment moving to ports and railheads when units deploy. TACOM did not say how many locomotives are in the Army’s fleet or how many more it plans to buy.

The Army relies on its own locomotives and rail lines at depots, ammunition plants and major posts to move tanks, vehicles and munitions to commercial railroads and seaports. TACOM handled the requirements, engineering reviews and contract oversight, while the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center acted as the buying agency.

“Army Rail serves as a critical enabler to deployment activities and power projection of the force,” said Bryan VanGheluwe, section chief for heavy tactical vehicles and Army rail at TACOM. “This effort renewed a commitment to the modernization of the fleet and providing enhanced readiness to move warfighter equipment in support of mission requirements.”

The newest locomotive went to Crane Army Ammunition Activity in Indiana, which accepted USAX 4673 on Feb. 2, 2026. The 120-ton (about 109-metric-ton) locomotive was built by Knoxville Locomotive Works for $2.9 million and designed around the site’s tight track curves and close clearances, with smaller exterior dimensions and special couplers that do not have to line up on the centerline.

Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky accepted USAX 1699 on Oct. 23, 2025. The 80-ton switcher, built by SpecSys for $2.1 million, uses the same physical footprint as the classic GE 80-ton locomotive so it can run on the depot’s older, lighter track without wearing it down or risking derailments.

Fort Drum, New York, received a ballast regulator from Knox Kershaw on Nov. 13, 2025, for about $733,000. The machine keeps the gravel bed under the track in shape, and it is fitted with snow-removal attachments so crews can keep the post’s deployment railheads open through the region’s heavy winters.

Before these deliveries, the last major locomotive the Army fielded was USAX 6524, a 140-ton engine delivered to what is now Fort Hood, Texas, on July 30, 2015, at a cost of $1.84 million.

The locomotive purchases are one part of the Army’s push to keep its installation rail networks ready for large deployments. The service has also looked for faster ways to repair rail lines at its installations so damaged track does not slow units heading to ports.