GE Transportation Delivers First Five Locomotives In Nigeria
Published:05-February-2010
By Staff Reporter
GE Transportation and the Nigerian Ministry of Transport have said that Nigerian Railway has received the first five C25 diesel locomotives, introducing new technology to Nigeria’s rail system.
GE said that the locomotives will be used for both freight and passenger service. The remaining 20 locomotives to be delivered will be completed in the second half of 2010.
According to GE, the model C25 six-axle locomotives were built by GE Transportation South America, an affiliate facility located in Brazil. The locomotives feature GE’s 7FDL 12-cylinder, 2,500 horsepower engine that was supplied by GE Transportation’s diesel engine manufacturing plant in Grove City, US. The locomotives are designed to accommodate Nigeria’s weight per axle and clearance characteristics.
GE Transportation South America has built GE diesel electric locomotives including AC44, Dash 9 and C Series in Brazil, and has produced around 1,000 locomotives, operating in over 15 countries globally. Locomotives similar to C25 are already hauling freight in South Africa.
Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation, said: “We are excited today with the arrival of the first locomotives as this represents an important step in GE Transportation’s entry into the Nigerian market place. GE experts performed an extensive analysis on Nigeria’s narrow-gauge railway network, haulage requirements and traffic patterns to determine the best-fit locomotive. We are honored to support the country’s rail infrastructure growth and are looking forward to working with our Nigerian partners.”
