GE wants to build 12,000 HP electric locos for India

[MEC407]

Leading manufacturers of railway rolling stock like GE, Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier have been shortlisted for setting up a Rs 1,960-crore electric locomotive manufacturing unit at Madhepura in Bihar.

The facility, to come up on the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, will roll out 120 IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) electric locos of 12,000 horse power every year.

They want to build diesel locomotives there as well.

Read more at: http://www.business-standard.com/india/ ... it/404206/

[Allen Hazen]

YES!!
There was an article a year or two back (summary maybe in a post somewhere on the forum archive) that said a (Eurtopean-born, I think) GE executive had persuaded GETS to show more interest in electric locomotives than they had since the 1970s: this is the first evidence I've seen of such an interest.
Now, if only some North American railroad would show some interest in freight electrification...

[v8interceptor]

YES!!
There was an article a year or two back (summary maybe in a post somewhere on the forum archive) that said a (Eurtopean-born, I think) GE executive had persuaded GETS to show more interest in electric locomotives than they had since the 1970s: this is the first evidence I've seen of such an interest.
Now, if only some North American railroad would show some interest in freight electrification...

I wouldn't assume that GE's possible re-entry into the electric traction market would be a "win for American manufacturing" as I remember reading that they were interested in partnering with a Chinese manufacturer to compete in the high speed rail market. The GE motors for India may be designed and built in China..

[Super Seis]

As GE has a considerable presence in India, look for any 'GE' products to be built there. India is very cognizant of balance of trade issues and has a well-developed railway supply infrastructure.

SS

[bengt]

Probably GE have to do some homework before competing with european and japaneese builders of high power and high speed electric locos.
Electric locos interference of signaling devices is also a point.

[Nasadowsk]

Probably GE have to do some homework before competing with european and japaneese builders of high power and high speed electric locos.
Electric locos interference of signaling devices is also a point.

Their biggest issue, IMHO, for a 4 axle passenger unit in the US:

* Inverters capable of sustained 1500+ kW per axle.
* Converters that can sustain 3000+ Kw (dual converter design, aka ALP-46) or 6000+ kw (Single converter design)
* Truck mounted traction motors with quill drives to the axles.
* Underfloor transformers. GE ought to know this trick by now.
* Getting the weight down to 100 tons. Likely the easiest of the bunch. Subtract 20 tons for European sales.

Can they do it? Maybe. Inverter/converters aren't something GE builds, save for their rail units. They haven't for years now (all of their industrial units are badge engineered and 2nd tier drives anyway). Siemens and everyone else has a strong base of industrial experience to draw on, and generally at much higher power levels than a locomotive.