In October 2017, GE Transportation delivered the first of 1,000 diesel-electric Evolution series locomotives at Mundra port. It is a part of the $2.5 billion agreement signed between GE and Indian Railways (IR) in November 2015 for the supply of 1,000 diesel-electric locomotives over a period of 11 years to modernise the country’s rail infrastructure. It is the first of 40 locomotives that have been imported to India from the US. The remaining 960 will be built at GE’s Brilliant Factory, which is being constructed at Marhowra in Bihar, and will be completed in 2018.
GE Transportation is building two locomotive models for IR – ES43ACmi and ES57ACi – which provide better fuel efficiency and emission control compared to IR’s current fleet. These locomotives will be the first in India to meet UIC1 emission standards. The ES43ACmi is a 4,500 HP locomotive with dual cabs while the ES57ACi is a 6,000 HP locomotive with a single cab. Both engines feature an electronic fuel-injection system that automatically supplies the exact amount of fuel needed for optimum engine efficiency. Currently, the ES57ACi model is in the design phase and will begin production later this year.