GE Transportation at InnoTrans 2018: President and CEO Rafael Santana
GE Transportation at InnoTrans: “Transportation is the backbone of economies worldwide and a requirement for society’s progress.”
Rafael Santana, President and CEO for GE Transportation
“Transportation is the backbone of economies worldwide and a requirement for society’s progress. When you look at life’s essentials in terms of healthcare, food and shelter, they ultimately rely on the ability to transport goods and to get materials where you need it. Rail transportation, being a vital element of that delivery, around the world more than twelve billion tonnes are delivered by rail every single day. And rail is by far the most fuel-efficient means of moving goods across land. But railways today really face a challenging environment.
“In the search for growth, segments like intermodal are finding themselves in a competing landscape where you need to maximise opportunities and efficiencies, not just for cost, but also for improved reliability and visibility. Now more than ever we need to partner with our railroad customers to really help them compete and win in this environment.”
Read: Germany at InnoTrans 2018
GE Transportation at InnoTrans
“At InnoTrans right now we’re unveiling what are called the next generation of engines. A new high- speed, high-performance engine that will be a game- changer for the places that need them. Our engine portfolio will deliver the best-in-class weight, performance and maintenance costs […]. By combining a powerful engine at a smaller size, this is a great platform, ideal for places like Asia, Africa, New Zealand and really the places that require what I’ll call a lighter-weight locomotive that respects the limitations imposed by the regional infrastructure. This new high-speed engine, compared to the competition […] delivers a game-changing benefit
that will include over […] 40% more power per pound than a medium-speed engine and a 10% savings on service and maintenance costs. KTZ, Kazakhstan Railway, will be the first customer to use this new engine to power 300 shunter locomotives, ordered in the first part of this year, with the first shunter being delivered already in 2019.”
GE Transportation in Eurasia
“We’re seeing [a trend] in the eastern hemisphere where there’s an explosion of growth in rail transportation across the Silk Road. This region is an area with a lot of opportunities and one area that we know well. […] Earlier this year we deepened our ties with Kazakhstan with a 900-dollar agreement for locomotives, services and digital solutions to further develop the country’s railway infrastructure. In Ukraine we also signed a historic one billion dollar long-term framework agreement this year with the Ukrainian Railways that includes the production of GE locomotives. In fact, the first locomotive arrived in Ukraine just last week. And today we’re expanding our presence even further, with the announcement of a new order of diesel-electric locomotives from Tüpras in Turkey. This is the first private operator in Turkey to be ordering locomotives.”
Read: GE Transportation and TÜLOMSAŞ Secure Locomotive Order
GE Transportation: Beyond Locomotives
“A locomotive is just one small part of a railroad operation. Today, even with incredibly intelligent and reliable locomotives, railroads still experience hundreds of thousands of unexpected delays each year, costing the industry billions of dollars annually. This has been the catalyst for expanding our focus well beyond the locomotive and taking a bold move to link both the engine, the railcars, the track, the yard, and even ports in a way that’s never been done before. To understand the magnitude of this impact you need to view it in terms of efficiencies gained from digitisation. Just a 1% improvement in efficiency of fuel and asset use, car dwell and network velocity saves nearly six billion dollars a year across the industry. That’s a game-changing impact.”
Read: Railway-News Choice: Rolling Stock Highlights at InnoTrans 2018
Digitalisation
“Digitisation also triggers cultural change. Rail operators today grasp and appreciate the power of information collaboration because they can now monitor and respond to dynamic conditions instantly. Said simply, digitisation will change how we work. It empowers workers with fresh capabilities that are really transforming the delivery of freight and enhancing planning and productivity. The announcements we are making this week here at InnoTrans will serve to accelerate this [development].”
Read: The Current Impact of Digitisation on the Rail Industry
