The Evolution Series represents a $400 million investment to create its most technologically advanced, fuel efficient and low emissions heavy haul freight locomotive to-date. GE’s bestselling locomotive reduces fuel use by 5 percent, or approximately 320,000 gallons over the lifetime of the locomotive, while lowering emissions by approximately 40 percent.
GE engaged a nationally recognized independent research laboratory to conduct a head-to-head fuel test between GE’s ES44AC and EMD’s SD70ACe Tier 2 emissions-compliant locomotives. According to the research study GE’s locomotives are 6 percent more fuel-efficient compared to their EMD counterparts. If a railroad replaced 4,500 EMD locomotives with corresponding GE locomotives, it would save approximately 72 million gallons of fuel a year and reduce its carbon emissions by more than 580,000 metric tons annually. A fleet of 4,500 GE locomotives would have an annual positive Green House Gas (GHG) impact equivalent to removing over 115,000 cars from the road, or planting over 150,000 acres of trees.
Today, more than 4,500 Evolution Series Locomotives operate in key rail markets worldwide, including in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and Australia.
“Our commitment to significantly invest in research and development and manufacturing infrastructure as well as the performance of our products and services positions us strongly in the global rail industry,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “We are especially proud of our ecomagination products that measurably help our customers’ bottom lines while improving their environmental performance.” Ecomagination is a GE-wide business strategy that helps customers to meet their most pressing environmental challenges by providing more energy-efficient products.
Added Simonelli: “Fuel-efficiency delivers a real competitive advantage to our railway customers around the world as they lower their operating costs and minimize their carbon footprint worldwide.”
Investment and Expansion
GE Transportation continues to invest in technology leadership and product innovation. By the end of 2011, the company will have invested approximately $600 million over the past two years. GE’s transportation business keeps expanding its operational footprint and has established manufacturing capabilities to serve growth markets such as North America, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, Kazakhstan, China and Australia.
The company plans to invest approximately $200 million in a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as significant technology upgrades at its more than 100-year old manufacturing facility in Erie, Pennsylvania to meet accelerating domestic and global demand.
The Texas facility will manufacture, assemble and remanufacture GE’s leading rail and transportation-related products. Production is scheduled to start by the third quarter of 2012. GE Transportation’s new manufacturing site in the U.S. will complement its existing manufacturing operations in North America. Currently, GE Transportation operates at more than 50 GE and customer facilities in the United States.
GE Transportation will create more than 500 new high-tech manufacturing jobs in Texas by 2012 with the potential of up to 275 additional jobs in subsequent years. Since the beginning of 2011, GE Transportation has announced and created more than 1,900 new U.S. jobs, including nearly 1,000 at its Erie site.
“We are strengthening our operational footprint in the U.S. and around the globe to better serve our rail customers,” said Robert McKeel, General Manager of Global Locomotive Operations for GE Transportation. “In order to capitalize on global infrastructure growth opportunities we need to be close to our customers and continue to localize our manufacturing capabilities.”
Currently, approximately 17,000 GE locomotives are in use in more than 50 countries around the world, including more than 4,500 Evolution Series Locomotives.
Year of Renewal
After a two-year period of economic volatility in global markets, GE Transportation has returned to double-digit growth in 2011. The company reported $2.1 billion in revenues for the first half of this year, up 45 percent compared to the same period last year. Segment profits for the same period were $335 million, up 135 percent. GE Transportation received $2.3 billion of orders in the first half of 2011. GE will announce its third-quarter earnings on October 21.
Leading Products and Services
GE Transportation will feature leading locomotive and rail signaling products at Railway Interchange, including the Evolution Series Locomotive, RailEdge Movement Planner, an automated rail network traffic control system, and Trip Optimizer, a “cruise-control” system for locomotives that helps keep trains on schedule while using the least amount of fuel.
RailEdge Movement Planner can increase the average network speed of trains by 10-20 percent or two-to-four miles-per-hour. One mile per hour in velocity improvement has the potential to save approximately $200 million in capital and expense annually. Trip Optimizer can reduce annual fuel consumption and emissions of a locomotive by up to 17 percent.
GE also will showcase Positive Trail Control (PTC) Solutions, Parts and Services solution for fuel savings and emissions compliance. In addition, GE Transportation will introduce its new Software and Optimization Solutions group that is dedicated to helping railroads operate more efficiently.
Virtual Rail Expo
Complementing Railway Interchange and other rail-related trade shows around the world, GE Transportation recently launched its Virtual Rail Expo at www.gevirtualrailexpo.com, an innovative digital online exhibition featuring locomotives, signaling and communications solutions, rail services and more. The Virtual Rail Expo is available anywhere in the world 24/7 and free to all visitors from the convenience of their PC or iPad.
The new site includes features such as: walk around locomotive tours, a global theater with educational information, product exhibits, and ecomagination solutions for saving fuel and reducing emissions. Visitors have the opportunity to engage product experts for specific questions. The site also includes fun downloads such a locomotive ring tone and screensaver.
Established more than 100 years ago, GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a global technology leader and supplier to the railroad, marine, drilling, mining and wind power industries. GE Transportation provides freight and passenger locomotives, signaling and communications systems, information technology solutions, marine engines, motorized drive systems for mining trucks and drills, high-quality replacement parts and value added services. GE Transportation is headquartered in Erie, Penn., and employs approximately 11,000 employees worldwide.
