“KCS is pleased to have GE as our partner,” said KCS executive vice president and chief operating officer Jeffrey M. Songer. “This purchase will help us continue the modernization of our locomotive fleet and position KCS for future expanded volumes.”
The order includes GE’s Tier 4 Evolution Series locomotives, equipped with GE Transportation’s GoLINC Platform, Trip Optimizer System and Distributed Power LOCOTROL technologies. As part of GE Transportation’s Train Performance product suite, these technology solutions optimize power distribution, train handling, brake control and fuel utilization.
“This agreement will expand our relationship with KCS, drive operational efficiency across their system, and further meet the needs of their future growth,” said Rafael Santana, president and CEO of GE Transportation. “Our leading Tier 4 locomotives will give KCS the productivity and reliability needed to move and grow with its customers.”
The locomotives will be produced at the GE Manufacturing Solutions facility in Fort Worth, Texas, beginning in 2018. The first units are expected to be delivered in early 2019.
— A GE Transportation news release. June 21, 2018.
“Monopoly” suggests that only one supplier exists. This is not the case. Railroads have the right to choose which company they buy from.
And the rich get richer.Totally outragous for this to happen.Totally outragous.We have monopoly on locomotive sales in this company as one idiot entity get all the the sales.
The headline does not agree with the body of the article. The order “includes” Tier 4 locomotives but not all 50 will be Tier 4. So KCS did not “announce [a] deal for 50 Tier 4 locomotives.” They announced a deal for 50 GE locomotives that will include an unspecified number of Tier 4 and Tier 3 locomotives.
Interesting that this deal was announced shortly after GE was removed from the Dow.
Good news also for the work force in Fort Worth. Between domestic orders and the big order from a Central Asian country, they have great job security.
Good news for KCS, they need more locomotives.
Good news for GE, (or whoever they are now), they get to build some new loco’s.
Gotta sting over at the Cat/Progress/EMD camp…