Wabtec’s Trip Optimizer™ Surpasses 1 Billion Miles

The 12,000 locomotives worldwide using the Trip Optimizer system accounted for significant reductions in fuel consumption and emissions for the rail industry.

Trip Optimizer surpassed a major milestone as railroads used the energy-management software to efficiently operate their trains for more than 1 billion auto miles, the equivalent of more than 40,000 trips around the Earth. 

"This billion-mile accomplishment is a tribute to our customers and our team of innovators,” said Nalin Jain, president of Wabtec Digital Intelligence. “Trip Optimizer has become an integral locomotive operating system and an industry standard for railroads to efficiently manage the performance of their trains. It is building upon the rail industry’s leadership as the most efficient mode of transporting goods by enabling railroads to significantly cut down on unnecessary fuel consumption, minimize emissions, and optimize their travel routes.”

Trip Optimizer is a smart cruise control system for trains that considers terrain, train make-up, speed restrictions, and operating conditions to calculate an optimum speed profile. The software automatically controls locomotive throttle and dynamic brakes to reduce fuel burn and provide efficient train handling. To date, the fleet of locomotives installed with Trip Optimizer saved approximately 752 million gallons of diesel, enough fuel to generate nearly 10 billion kilowatt hours of electricity or power almost 900,000 homes for a year. Trip Optimizer also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7.7 million tons. That is the equivalent of removing emissions from approximately 1.7 million cars for a year.

“Trip Optimizer is delivering meaningful returns for our customers,” said Jain. “The system is EPA certified to reduce emissions by 10 percent by reducing fuel consumption enabling railroads to shrink their carbon footprint and reduce operating expenses. We are dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions, and pioneering innovations that leave a lasting, positive impact both operationally and environmentally for our customers.”

The development of Trip Optimizer is an ongoing process, involving continuous improvement and iteration based on feedback, operational insights, and technological advances. Wabtec regularly seeks feedback on Trip Optimizer and makes updates based on that information to incorporate the latest advancements in energy-efficient train operations. Solutions like Independent Control of LOCOTROL Distributed Power, Trip Optimizer SmartHPT, and Air Brake Control add to Wabtec’s comprehensive suite of offerings for even greater energy-management opportunities.

Wabtec launched the Trip Optimizer system in 2009. There are 12,000 locomotives using Trip Optimizer with 23 customers on five continents, including all North American Class 1 railroads and rail operators in key markets like Brazil and Australia.

www.wabteccorp.com.

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