GE Transportation and Rumo, a rail-based logistics operator in Latin America, signed an agreement to implement Trip Optimizer on company’s locomotive fleet that runs on the North and São Paulo Lines across 2,000 km of track. Operation is scheduled to start in 2018.
“The installation of Trip Optimizer is an important first step in transitioning from manual trains to fully automated ones. It will not only increase rail productivity, but also radically change logistics for the better,” said Danilo Miyasato, Commercial Director of GE Transportation for Latin America.
Trip Optimizer is a software-based energy management system that ingests data about a train’s route and load, and then automatically drives the train in the most fuel-efficient manner.
Trip Optimizer runs on GoLINC, GE Transportation’s on-board computing platform, which turns a locomotive into a mobile data center and enables the implementation of GE’s full suite of digital solutions. To optimize outcomes, solution’s algorithms develop a customized plan to work with each train’s specific rail route. This optimizes the operations and improves train handling and fuel economy, which is the largest expense for railways. During each journey, Trip Optimizer syncs with the other systems on board the locomotive so it can consider and adapt to potential changes that could impact the route, enabling the train to consistently arrive on time while using the least amount of fuel possible.
In addition to the installation of Trip Optimizer, the two companies are exploring other digital solutions that can be utilized to meet the company’s specific business goals, such as reducing operating costs.
“When integrated with our global technology strategy, it will bring considerable precision in the movement of freight, generating greater efficiency for our operation. Beyond that, the benefits of reducing fuel consumption extend beyond our own operations to the broader society as well,” Roberto Rubio Potzmann, Technology Director of Rumo said.
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