GM Lands CN Diesel Locomotive Remanufacturing Contract

The Canadian National railway has awarded a contract to remanufacture 300 diesel locomotive engines to General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD).
The engines are used in main line locomotives. Under the six-year contract, GM will provide all materials, technical oversight, specifications, certification and a full warranty for the remanufacture of EMD 710 diesel engines in CN’s GM-built fleet of SD60, SD70 and SD75 locomotives.
The engines are key power-producing components of the locomotives, which were manufactured from 1989 to 1999 and produce 3,800 to 4,300 horsepower each. The GM program covers almost 30% of CN’s main line fleet of about 1,100 active locomotives producing 3,000 or more horsepower.
Jack T. McBain, CN’s senior vice-president of operations, said: “This project will increase locomotive efficiency and reliability – a key objective of CN in delivering timely service to customers and meeting our aggressive asset utilization plan. It will also ensure these locomotives meet new environmental regulations requiring reduced diesel engine air emissions.”
The remanufacturing project is the latest initiative in CN’s locomotive renewal program. In March, CN announced plans to acquire 60 new state-of-the-art Dash 9 – 44CW locomotives from General Electric Transportation Systems. Delivery of the new locomotives will be completed by the end of 2004. The new GE units will also help CN improve asset utilization, reduce fuel consumption and cut locomotive air emissions.
For each group of 30 new Dash 9 units – a single unit develops 4,400 horsepower – CN will displace up to 50 older main line locomotives that develop 3,000 horsepower each. Since embarking on a major program in 1995 to upgrade its main line locomotive fleet, CN has acquired 384 new locomotives, bringing the average age of CN’s main line fleet to about 13 years – compared with close to 18 years in early 1995.