ERIE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Transportation, a unit of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), announced today that its customer Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has taken delivery of the 3,000^th Evolution Series® locomotive produced at GE Transportation’s Erie, Pennsylvania manufacturing site. The Evolution is the most technologically advanced diesel electric, heavy-haul locomotive to-date. One Evolution Series locomotive can pull the equivalent of 170 Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet” airliners.

In 2006, KTZ ordered 310 GE Evolution Series locomotives and the first ten units, including the 3,000^th, have arrived in Kazakhstan. Three hundred additional locomotives will be assembled in Kazakhstan starting at the end of 2009 from kits and parts produced in Erie.

This is the 3,000^th Evolution Series locomotive since its introduction to the market in 2005. Four years ago, GE Transportation reinvented what a locomotive could be, and today, with this major milestone delivery, 3,000 Evolution Series locomotives are now serving the infrastructure development of countries around the world, while providing economic and environmental benefits of fuel savings and decreased emissions. Beyond Kazakhstan, GE Transportation has developed innovative locomotives based on the Evolution Series platform for markets in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt and the United States.

“GE and Kazakhstan have a long and fruitful history of working together,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “Since 1995, GE and KTZ have collaborated to drive Kazakhstan’s economic development. The delivery of the 3,000^th Evolution locomotive marks an important milestone for our relationship with KTZ and Kazakhstan as well as being a great example of how globalization has opened up growth opportunities for GE Transportation. We look forward to building upon our productive relationships in Kazakhstan to serve the country’s infrastructure needs.”

KTZ manages a fleet of approximately 2,000 locomotives and 14,000 km of rail lines. Rich in oil, natural gas, coal and iron ore, Kazakhstan also serves as a vital hub for trade across the entire region, including Russia, China and the former Soviet states of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The development of the rail industry and Kazakhstan go hand-in-hand as rail transports coal, minerals and other commodities in Kazakhstan. The arrival of the Evolution Series locomotives enables KTZ to pursue its growth plans in the country and region.

Kazakhstan is an important market for GE Transportation because in addition to the sale of locomotives, GE Transportation has plans to collaborate on other projects, such as service agreements and signaling projects, so that Kazakhstan will serve as a showcase for the region and beyond.

About the Evolution Series Locomotive
The Evolution Series locomotive represents a $400 million investment by GE over eight years. The innovative locomotive is equipped with a 12-cylinder diesel engine that produces the same 4,400 horsepower as its 16-cylinder predecessor. The smaller engine uses up to 5% less fuel, or approximately 1.1 million liters of fuel over the life of the locomotive, while reducing emissions by more approximately 40%.

The Evolution locomotive is one of GE’s most prominent “Ecomagination” products. Ecomagination is a GE-wide initiative to help meet customer demand for more energy-efficient products while generating profitable growth for the company.

In 2008, GE Transportation delivered the first of 300, 6,000 GHP China Mainline locomotives to the Ministry of Railways in China and Rio Tinto Iron Ore received forty 4,400 GHP heavy haul Evolution Series locomotives to support its mining operations in Australia’s Pilbara region. GE Transportation introduced its new PowerHaul™ engine and locomotive for the UK and European markets in October 2008. Eighty Evolution Series locomotives have just been delivered to the Egyptian National Railways. GE Transportation’s Evolution Series success story serves as a powerful reminder that free trade and open markets worldwide sustain businesses and employment opportunities around the globe.

Approximately 17,000 GE locomotives are in use in more than 50 countries around the world. GE Transportation has evolved from a supplier to the North American rail industry to a global transportation leader. By the end of 2008, international locomotive orders contributed more than 40% of the company’s locomotive-related revenue.

About GE Transportation

Established more than 100 years ago, GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a global technology leader and supplier to the railroad, marine, drilling, mining and wind industries. GE provides freight and passenger locomotives, railway signaling and communications systems, information technology solutions, marine engines, motorized drive systems for mining trucks and drills, high-quality replacement parts and value added services. GE Transportation is headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, and employs approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information visit www.getransportation.com.

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