The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) yesterday marked the arrival and inaugural run of its first new Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive.

The agency is buying 15 locomotives from Siemens. The new units will enable SEPTA to expand its fleet and replace eight aging locomotives, including the only remaining AEM-7 locomotives operating in the United States, agency officials said in a press release.

The ACS-64 locomotive is equipped with New York Air Brake Corp.‘s FastBrake system and an electronically controlled pneumatic brake system suited for push-pull operation without turning.

The unit also features an integrated crash energy management system, a regenerative braking system and an onboard Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System, which includes train radio, automatic train control and positive train control.

Similar locomotives operating along the Northeast Corridor have helped reduce delay incidents by 25 percent, SEPTA officials said.

The new Siemens locomotives initially will be paired with SEPTA’s existing rail coach cars. Eventually, they’ll be paired with a new fleet of multilevel coaches that have been ordered from CRRC MA Corp.

In November 2015, SEPTA awarded a $118 million contract to Siemens to build 13 ACS-64 locomotives with an option to deliver up to five additional units.