A series of announcements by GE Transportation (NYSE:GE) at InnoTrans 2016 reinforce how advanced digital technologies and analytics are helping to create an efficient, digital rail ecosystem – from the locomotive and rail car to the train yard and operations center. With the news of global alliances, software and products powered by Predix, GE Transportation is applying its industrial domain and technology leadership to help extend the life of locomotives, reduce fuel consumption, decrease emissions, boost velocity and improve operations.

Today, GE Transportation launched its first-ever European digital pilot with DB Cargo, Europe’s largest rail operator. Deutsche Bahn is leveraging GE Transportation’s RailConnect™ 360 Asset Performance Management Solution, which provides locomotive health status updates that increase efficiency and spot repair issues before failures occur. This is the first step toward self-aware locomotives and digitalization of the entire rail operation value chain.

"The first results of this pilot project with GE are promising,” said Steffen Bobsien, Senior Vice President Asset Management & Technology from DB Cargo AG. “We look forward to further extending GE's digital solutions to our European fleets to drive fleet availability, service quality and optimization of value chain assets.”

In collaboration with Amsted Rail, a major freight car component manufacturer, GE Transportation is also introducing Car Integrity Monitor, which extends asset monitoring capabilities to railcars. Using sensors mounted on railcars, this innovative technology will enable Amsted to receive real-time notifications about the condition of key railcar components, as well as broader risk events related to broken wheels, hot bearings and handbrake application.

The Car Integrity Monitor solution enables integration of Amsted Rail’s IONX Edge™ monitoring system for railcars with GE’s GoLINC™ network and communication platform to collect and monitor sensor data. Car Integrity Monitor is part of GE Transportation’s commitment to create self-aware trains that, through the use of sensors, real-time monitoring of assets, data and predictive analytics, gather information about the train and its environment to boost performance.

“With this advanced technology, we’ll be able to move from intermittent data collected from wayside detectors, spaced sometimes 200 to 400 miles apart, to near real-time monitoring of railcar component health,” said Brad Myers, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Amsted Rail. “The solution can support an individual railcar or a complete train – providing actionable data to allow for better, more informed decision-making.”

Additionally, GE Transportation showcased a series of Modernization product offerings that breathe new life into railroads’ aging fleets. GE Transportation has technology solutions available that revitalize old locomotives that are at the end of their useful life, and can digitally enable the asset with the ability to self-analyze, self-diagnose and communicate with the railroad headquarters. The Modernizations are projected to generate up to 10-15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, approximately 30 percent improvement in operational efficiency and roughly 50 percent increase in a locomotive’s ability to haul – at a fraction of the price of a new locomotive. The solutions also significantly reduce railroads’ maintenance costs and mission failures. Over the past five years, nearly 300 Modernizations have been delivered to customers worldwide.

“What’s clear is that our vision for self-aware trains in a connected ecosystem is becoming a reality through our technology and digital solutions,” said GE Transportation CEO Jamie Miller. “The digital industrial future is upon us and the need to turn information into insights and insights into outcomes has never been more important to our customers. We are committed to helping engineers and rail operators make the most of their resources, and drive meaningful productivity and efficiency gains.”

GE Transportation’s digital solutions have the potential to help customers save an average of 10 percent in fuel costs and 10-15 percent in velocity.

To learn more, visit invent.ge/GEIT2016, or meet GE Transportation at Hall 6.2 501.

About GE Transportation

At GE Transportation, we are in the business of realizing potential. We are a global technology leader and supplier of equipment, services and solutions to the rail, mining, marine, stationary power and drilling industries. Our innovations help customers deliver goods and services with greater speed and savings using our advanced manufacturing techniques and connected machines. Our digital solutions, which provide data-driven insights to improve efficiency, utilize Predix – GE’s cloud-based operating system for the Industrial Internet. Established more than a century ago, GE Transportation is a division of the General Electric Company that began as a pioneer in passenger and freight locomotives. That innovative spirit still drives GE Transportation today and is strengthened by our ability to serve customers more holistically through the GE Store – a global exchange of knowledge, technology and tools across all GE businesses that ultimately provides better outcomes for customers. GE Transportation is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and employs approximately 10,000 employees worldwide.

DB Cargo AG

DB Cargo is the most powerful freight rail in Europe. With roughly 1,500 freight traffic stations in Germany and 3,700 in Europe, DB Cargo enables its clients to access one of the largest rail networks in the world. Headquartered in Germany, DB Cargo AG controls the European flow of goods, and as a strategic partner, provides high performance logistics across all borders.

Amsted Rail Company, Inc.

Amsted Rail, headquartered in Chicago, IL, is a globally integrated manufacturer of components and innovative systems for freight cars and locomotives. They have been an industry leader in freight railroading for more than 100 years, with facilities spanning over 40 locations across 6 continents. Amsted Rail’s IONX solutions for mobilizing and monitoring unpowered assets provides an innovative platform for the next evolution of asset monitoring. The integration of sensors with railcar components, paired with the ability to measure and monitor lading, is a first for the transportation market.

GE TransportationMailee Garcia, 312-259-6544Mailee.Garcia@ge.com

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