Dayton-Phoenix Group today announced the successful completion of testing for VOLT, its hybrid locomotive power solution designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across rail operations, including industrial and mine-site rail systems, while preserving the value and performance of existing diesel locomotives.
VOLT is engineered to integrate directly with conventional diesel-electric locomotives, supplying supplemental electric power during high-load events such as acceleration, grade climbing, and heavy consist movement. Testing confirmed stable operation, predictable load sharing, and measurable reductions in diesel engine loading — demonstrating clear benefits for rail-intensive mining environments where fuel efficiency, reliability, and uptime are critical.
“Many mining operations rely on rail as a backbone of material movement — whether that’s captive mine railroads or mine-to-port operations,” said Jacob Dahle, Head of Sustainability and Growth at DPG. “VOLT was developed specifically for these real-world rail applications, offering mines and other rail operations a way to reduce fuel burn and emissions without replacing locomotives or disrupting operations.”
Mine rail operations face unique challenges: heavy loads, frequent starts and stops, steep grades, remote locations, and long asset life expectations. Unlike new-build battery-electric locomotives that require large capital investments and infrastructure changes, VOLT provides a retrofit-ready hybrid solution that works with locomotives as they exist today.
Testing validated VOLT’s ability to:
- Reduce diesel fuel consumption during high-load duty cycles
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions as a direct byproduct of improved efficiency
- Support demanding mine-site rail profiles without compromising reliability
- Extend the useful life of existing locomotive assets
These capabilities are especially relevant for mining operators seeking practical decarbonization strategies that align with production targets and capital stewardship.
VOLT enables mining companies to take a fiscally conservative approach to emissions reduction, delivering near-term operational savings while creating a pathway toward broader electrification strategies over time.
“For mining operators, success is measured in tons moved, uptime maintained, and dollars saved,” John Gordon, Chief Commercial Officer of DPG added. “VOLT aligns emissions reduction with those priorities, making sustainability a performance advantage rather than a tradeoff.”
With testing successfully completed, DPG is progressing discussions with rail operators, mining operators, and industrial rail users regarding pilot deployments and site-specific evaluations for mine rail applications.
