Ca. Bans Agency Resale of Used Diesel Locos

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2025 1:36 pm

https://www.trains.com/pro/regulatory/c ... equipment/

Quote:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill prohibiting state agencies from reselling or otherwise transferring older diesel-powered rail equipment after it has been decommissioned by a public agency.

SB 30 was introduced last December by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) in response to Caltrain’s sale of retired equipment for use to start a commuter rail operation in Lima, Peru [see “ [see “Caltrain equipment …,” Trains.com, Nov. 15, 2024]. When the bill was passed by the Senate in May, Cortese said in a press release, “I believe California should be leading the world in clean energy — not shipping our pollution problems elsewhere.” But at the time the bill was introduced, a Caltrain representative pointed out a U.S. State Department study had determined the transfer of the equipment to Lima would take 4,000 cars off the road and remove 20,000 metric tons of pollution from the air [see “Caltrain equipment sale to Peru sparks legislation …,” Trains.com, Dec. 8, 2024].

The bill bans such sales unless the diesels involved meet EPA Tier 2, 3, or 4 standards; the diesel engines are removed; or the sale is approved in a public hearing. It was one of dozens that Newsom announced he had signed or vetoed earlier this week.

I'm not sure just how much "historic" diesel equipment there is left under California state agency control for preservationists to covet, but I'm sure this will turn unpleasant in some unforeseen fashion, such as banning the transfer of surplused California State RR Museum ATSF diesels or whatnot.......

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2025 11:52 am

"or the sale is approved in a public hearing" - that is a large possible exemption.

PrrOpCrew · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2025 12:17 pm

The wording of this legislation seems to be a bit too "open ended" which leaves some parts of it up for interpretation.

Is this specific to locomotives or any equipment which could also be hauled by "pollutant spewing" diesels?

The header photo on Trains is of some bi-level commuter cars that they clearly got second-hand from somewhere else. I just find it to be confusing, becasue they don't speciifclaly say "locomotives". Makes you wonder if the cost of scrapping and the chemcials used to do that, and the abatement of any chemical polutants contained on the equipment offset the costs that would have been gained froms elling them to an agency elsewhere in the world? People don't look into the long-term problems, just the short-term "feel good" moments.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2025 3:12 pm

I think the only relevance to coaches is if they have gen-sets.