GE touts new fuel-saving "Trip Optimizer" technology

More than 2·3 billion litres of fuel a year would be saved if every train in North America were to be fitted with GE Transportation’s Trip Optimizer, the supplier believes. The launch customer for the energy management package is Canadian Pacific, which is to fit it to 200 locomotives after the success of trials with an initial 18.

‘Results measured by CP on intermodal freight of various train lengths have shown fuel savings ranging from 6% to more than 10% depending on territory’, according to Pierre Comte, President of GE Transportation Intelligent Control Systems.

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Nice. The fundamental ideas are probably obvious: "Don't waste fuel going top speed if it will only result in waiting longer outside yard limits at the already plugged destination" and so on. But combine GPS and computers, with locomotives whose controls are linked to computers anyway, and the obvious ideas can be put in practice much more effectively!