Transit & Locomotive Cable

Mid America Wire & Cable provides transit and locomotive cable for railroads, light rail systems, and transit authorities. Our product line includes AAR-compliant locomotive cable, APTA-standard transit wire, and other railroad-grade products.

1 product lines Ships nationwide UL / Mil-spec options

Diesel Locomotive Cable

DLO

Configure

About Transit & Locomotive Cable

Rail and transit environments subject cables to extreme temperature cycling, constant vibration, oil and diesel exposure, UV weathering, and intermittent mechanical abuse. Mid America Wire & Cable supplies transit and locomotive cable engineered for this environment: DLO (Diesel Locomotive) single-conductor flexible cable in 14 AWG through 1000 MCM, 2000V rated with EPDM insulation and CPE jacket; RRIM rolling-stock interconnect cable for locomotive-to-car connections; APTA Class 1E and Class 2E LSZH transit cables meeting NFPA 130 fire safety requirements; third-rail and catenary cable; and signal cable for trackside PTC and crossing systems. All rail cable meets or exceeds AAR M-975, APTA RP-E-029, and NFPA 130 standards as applicable.

Transit & Locomotive Cable — Frequently Asked Questions

DLO (Diesel Locomotive) is a single-conductor flexible power cable with tinned copper fine-stranded construction, EPDM rubber insulation, and CPE jacket, rated 2000V at 90°C in wet locations. Originally developed for diesel-electric locomotive traction systems, DLO is now widely used for battery banks, inverter feeders, solar installations, UPS systems, and any application requiring extreme flexibility with high-voltage ratings.

Yes. NFPA 130 (the primary fire-safety standard for rail transit systems) requires low-smoke zero-halogen (LSZH) cable for all passenger and operational wiring in tunnels, stations, and enclosed transit vehicles. APTA RP-E-029 specifies the testing and performance criteria.

Yes. We stock PTC signal cable, fiber-optic trunk cable, and communications cable to PTC-compliant constructions for signal, communications, and crossing applications.

M27500 is a U.S. military specification primarily for aerospace and ground-vehicle wiring, with stringent weight and temperature requirements. Transit-grade cable (APTA, AAR) is optimized for high-flex durability, fire safety (LSZH), and rolling-stock applications. While both are high-reliability cables, they are not interchangeable — specify carefully based on the end use.