Florence, Italy (March 17, 2009) -- GE Transportation, a unit of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), announced that it has signed a contract valued at more than €47 million ($60 million) with Trenitalia, the operation company of the Italian State Railways, for the design, supply and installation of 400 on board Sistema di Supporto alla Condotta - SSC train protection systems for diesel locomotives in Trenitalia's passenger and cargo fleet.
SSC is a new generation of automatic train protection solutions that increase the safety and performance of train operations. It continuously monitors the actual speed of the train thereby guaranteeing that the maximum speed limit is not violated. In cases where action is required, the system can enforce the train's braking system.
Already adopted by Italian Railway infrastructure management group RFI on more than 5,000 km of rail lines, SSC matches the highest safety standards of European regulation with GE Transportation's rational and simple technology.
GE's solution will allow Trenitalia, which serves more than one million passengers per day, to increase the safety of train operations, while enabling higher traffic density through greater speed. A cost effective solution, SSC is non-intrusive on track side infrastructure and easy to maintain.
"We are extremely pleased to provide Trenitalia with a simple yet elegant solution such as SSC," said Pierre Comte, President of GE Transportation Global Signaling. "As rail infrastructure projects continue to grow around the globe, GE Transportation will expand its offering and capabilities for customers' signaling and communications projects."
This order with Trenitalia follows other recent agreements for SSC on metro lines in Italy and Brazil.
GE Transportation's Global Signaling business, with offices in Paris, France, has installed rail equipment throughout Europe. With innovations from technology centers around the globe, including Florence, Italy, GE Transportation Global Signaling offers train inspection systems, train connection performance solutions, velocity improvement products and complete signaling and train control systems.
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, PA, and employs approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information visit www.getransportation.com.
Tom Scott
Chris Banocy