China chooses GE for new power, train control

Railway Age, Dec, 2004

General Electric's long-standing relationship with China's Ministry of Railways just got bigger following the award of locomotive and train control contracts worth in excess of $200 million to GE Transportation-Rail. The contracts will specifically affect new rail lines being built in western China.

GE, which currently has 400 locomotives operating in China and also runs a locomotive parts business there, will custom-build 78 4,000-hp a.c.-traction freight locomotives beginning in late 2005.The units will be similar to GE's 16-cylinder AC4400 but will incorporate some engineering changes specific to Chinese requirements. Construction will take place at GE's Erie, Pa., plant. The first locomotives sold to China by GE since 1985, they will be delivered beginning in 2006.

The 78 locomotives will be equipped with the onboard portion of GE's

ITCS (Incremental Train Control System), an overlay PTC system currently being tested on a section of Amtrak's Chicago-Detroit corridor in Michigan. ITCS will be installed on the new, 680-mile Ghormo-Lahsa line now under construction in western China and is expected to be complete in 2007, concurrent with start-up of rail service. Unlike the Michigan system, ITCS will be installed as stand-alone technology; this is GE's second contract for ITCS.

ITCS is a communications-based, onboard-centric train control system that transmits wayside signal and highway/rail grade crossing information to a locomotive onboard computer, safely separating trains and enabling the engineer to more productively adjust speed limits according to track conditions and civil speed restrictions. ITCS uses GPS for train location and radio for train/wayside communications. In the U.S., ITCS is currently allowing equipped Amtrak trains to operate at 90 mph, with the eventual goal of 110 mph.

Surging demand for rail service, both freight and passenger, has prompted China--now one of the world's biggest railway markets--to seek non-domestic sources of equipment and technology. The MOR recently updated its development plan for the national railway system, and plans to invest $240 billion-plus in new track systems, rolling stock, locomotives, and communication and control systems by 2020. This includes expanding the system from about 43,000 miles to more than 60,000. To meet growing demand in the freight sector, the MOR is increasing the axle load on many new freight cars from 21 to 25 metric tons, and increasing speeds from 50-55 mph to 75 mph on key main lines.