Hamilton Transit Commits to Natural Gas Engines

Cummins Westport Inc. a joint venture of Cummins Inc. of Columbus, Indiana, and Westport Innovations Inc. of Vancouver announced today that the City of Hamilton, Ont., has placed the first order in Canada for the C Gas Plus natural gas engine.
The city’s transit agency, Hamilton Street Railway Company, ordered 20 buses powered by Cummins Westport’s low-emissions 280-horsepower C Gas Plus engine. The 8.3-liter engines will be installed in 40-foot low-floor transit buses manufactured by New Flyer Industries Ltd. of Winnipeg, Man. The buses will be delivered by May 2003 and will be used to retire older buses operating in the fleet. The Cummins distributor responsible for the order is Cummins Ontario Inc.
“We are pleased that with this purchase the C Gas Plus has found recognition in Canada as a low-emissions alternative to diesel engines. We will continue to focus our attention on other opportunities for powering buses in Canada,” says Cummins Westport president Hugh Foden. “There is growing support for the C Gas Plus as more fleets see firsthand the reliability, performance and operating costs of this new technology. With more than 1,200 engines ordered for major U.S. transit fleets since June 2001, the C Gas Plus is the leading natural gas engine for new transit buses in North America.”
Hamilton Street Railway was the first transit system in North America to introduce natural gas buses in 1984. After delivery of the 20 new C Gas Plus- powered buses, 60% of its fleet of 200 transit buses will operate on natural gas.
The C Gas Plus, introduced last year, is a state-of-the art spark-ignited natural gas engine. It is certified to emit 28% less oxides of nitrogen and non-methane hydrocarbons than the ceilings established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which came into effect in October this year. It also produces less greenhouse gases and is nearly 12 decibels quieter than its diesel equivalent.