GE Transportation and Egyptian National Railways Announce the Completion of Commissioning of 80 Evolution® Series Locomotives

GE Transportation and the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) announced today that the 80th and final Evolution Series locomotive has been commissioned and was officially released to ENR at the end of June. The commissioning process prepares locomotives to be released for revenue service.

The locomotives have been successfully hauling freight and transporting passengers over the past several months and have logged tens of thousands of kilometers and transported hundreds of thousands of passengers. This is the ENR’s first order of GE’s Evolution Series, the most technologically advanced diesel electric, heavy-haul locomotive in the world.

“The Evolution Series locomotives sold by GE Transportation to the Egyptian National Railways provide a platform for rail growth, grounded in high tractive effort, fuel savings and future emissions reductions,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “This is one more milestone in a long and fruitful relationship with the Egyptian National Railways.”

“This is our first order of GE Evolution Series locomotives and I am pleased to mark this milestone,” said ENR Chairman, Eng. Mahmoud Sami. “The Evolution Series locomotives will provide us with a platform to grow our rail sector.”

Best in class fuel efficiency and lower emissions

The Evolution Series locomotives will improve the efficiency of ENR’s operations in several ways. The locomotives provide best in class fuel efficiency, as they have electronic fuel injection, which is superior to mechanical fuel injection, a 40-year-old technology used on previous locomotives. In head to head tests with competing products, GE’s locomotives have consistently proven to be more fuel efficient, in some cases as much as 6% better. Thus, these locomotives will reduce ENR’s fuel consumption significantly, saving millions of Egyptian pounds during their life span.

In addition to being more fuel-efficient, Evolution Series locomotives generate significantly lower emissions than ENR’s current fleet of locomotives, resulting in a cleaner environment in Egypt.

Advanced AC traction technology

The Evolution Series locomotive, the first AC locomotive used by ENR, is an industry breakthrough that delivers modern and efficient AC locomotive technology, replacing the older, less fuel-efficient DC technology. AC traction, for instance, provides these locomotives with higher pulling capability and less wheel slippage thanks to individual axle adhesion control. The Evolution Series locomotives are the most powerful locomotives in ENR fleet and will transport almost 30 percent more passengers and 60 percent more wagons of freight compared to the current locomotives.

In addition, these locomotives provide measurably higher reliability and lower maintenance costs. This is due to GE Transportation's AC propulsion and control equipment, built at GE's North American manufacturing plants, being more reliable and providing superior performance compared to DC Locomotives, which require brush changes and other maintenance support. Finally, the Evolution Series locomotives have dynamic brakes (in addition to air brakes), which reduce wheel and brake shoe wear by an estimated 20-40% depending upon usage.

About the Evolution Series locomotive

The Evolution Series locomotive represents a $400 million investment by GE over eight years and is one of GE’s most prominent “Ecomagination” products. Ecomagination is a GE-wide initiative to help meet customer demand for more energy-efficient products while generating profitable growth for the company.

The Evolution Series represent a proven, global locomotive platform. Last year, GE Transportation delivered the first of 300, 6,000 GHP China Mainline locomotives to the Ministry of Railways in China. Rio Tinto Iron Ore received forty 4,400 GHP heavy haul Evolution Series locomotives to support its mining operations in Australia’s Pilbara region in 2008. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy ordered 310 GE Evolution Series locomotives.

GE in Egypt

GE has been present in Egypt since 1974. Through the years, GE has partnered with government entities and private businesses on projects across the country in various sectors such as power, healthcare and transportation. Today, there are more than 100 employees working for GE in Egypt. GE is committed to remaining a long-term partner in the economic development of the country.

About GE Transportation

Established more than 100 years ago, GE Transportation, a unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a global technology leader and supplier to the railroad, marine, drilling, mining and wind industries. GE provides freight and passenger locomotives, railway 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, Pennsylvania, USA, and employs approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information visit www.getransportation.com.

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