GE Annual Report 2000: Business Review: Transportation Systems




			Transportation Systems Web Site


			Real-time monitoring of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System is provided by GE Harris Harmon. Real-time tracking of commuter trains across the globe ensures that train control systems are running at optimum performance.

Despite lower revenues due to a cyclical decline in locomotive demand, GE Transportation Systems delivered slightly higher earnings—much of it the result of a fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in our global services business.

Adding to our services momentum in 2000 was the acquisition of Harmon Industries, positioning us for continued expansion in transportation signaling and controls.

Harmon, an established leader in rail signaling and wayside controls, joined with GE Harris Railway Electronics to give us greater capacity and customer penetration in providing high-technology products and services to railroad and transit customers worldwide.

E-Business is re-energizing our business and providing new avenues for growth and productivity. Meanwhile, we co-located Six Sigma Quality Black Belts with our customers' operations and service teams for greater impact on their businesses.

Even with locomotive sales softening, we won the majority of new orders from North American Class 1 railroads, including new locomotives for Amtrak and Norfolk Southern and multi-year orders from both Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific. A new maintenance contract for General Motors EMD locomotives owned by Canadian Pacific broadens our service portfolio beyond GE fleets. We launched remote monitoring and diagnostics with Union Pacific for online locomotive tracking and repair.

In the e-Business arena, global sourcing and e-Auctions delivered record savings, and we are aggressively expanding our efforts to digitize all aspects of the supply chain and customer service processes.

As we navigate the inevitable cycles of the locomotive business, we remain confident that our investments in services and e-Business offer broad opportunities for diversification and continued growth.

www.ge.com/transportation