The Evolution locomotives reduce emissions by 40% and get up to 5% more fuel efficiency while doing it than previous GE locomotives, not only appealing to desire to maintain a lower environmental footprint, but by showing train companies that they can gain a lower bottom line as well. GE has orders for 1500 more of these, and they plan to get over half of those order fulfilled by the end of the year.

How the heck did a demand for several thousand locomotives arise so quickly, and why is GE at the forefront of meeting this demand?

Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, says freight traffic is expected to more than double over the next 20 years. It is clearly not a dead sector, but an expanding one. In a speech at the National Press Club back in 2004 Mr. Hamburger pointed out how rail transportation exploded over the last 10 years. This is due to cheaper transportation prices, advances in rail technology and efficiency. GE's transportation division has obviously been paying attention and not standing still. GE dumped $250 million into designing the Evolution series and are obviously seeing the benefits now, but they aren't slowing down with research any either.



GE researchers say they are trying find extra fuel savings by redesigning fuel injection systems and alternators in locomotives. Further down the road GE is hoping to build in smarter locomotives that automatically adjust a locomotive's traveling so it uses the least amount of fuel, as well as hybrid engines and ways to recover energy lost when braking.

GE isn't building just jet engines and the turbines of the future, but working on making existing forms of propulsion more effective.