(Norfolk Southern issued the following news release on November 7.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Already the most environmentally friendly way to move freight, railroads could grow even greener if a pilot program being tested on Norfolk Southern Railway pans out.
During an 18-month pilot, NS will test the Locomotive Engineer Assist Display and Event Recorder (LEADER). LEADER® is a computer system that helps engineers determine the best train handling for fuel efficiency, scheduling and safety. The NS pilot project is a partnership with New York Air Brake Corp., General Electric Transportation Systems and the Federal Railroad Administration research office, which provided a $615,000 grant.
The patented LEADER system, which was developed by New York Air Brake Corp., will be installed on 15 GE Dash 9 locomotives, owned by NS and equipped with General Electric’s LocoComm® technology. The locomotives will be assigned to trains operating over the 104-mile Winston-Salem line, which runs from Roanoke, Va., to Belews Creek, N.C.
LEADER works by continuously logging the operating state of the train in its memory. Over a number of trips the software accounts for all energy used in moving the train and creates a statistical profile of the operation. That data is then used to develop the highest energy-efficient trip — called a “Golden Run” — and help engineers repeat it on subsequent trips by prompting them in real-time to adjust locomotive throttle and brakes for optimal performance.
“LEADER has the potential to be the next major advance in train handling,” said John Samuels, NS senior vice president operations planning and support. “Not only is there the opportunity to achieve significant fuel savings — a real benefit to the environment and potentially to our bottom line — but also to improve safety.”
“We are confident the LEADER pilot program will demonstrate its ability to yield significant fuel savings as well as improve train handling methods, contributing to a safer environment,” said Marshall Beck, senior vice president of marketing and sales for New York Air Brake. “We are delighted that Norfolk Southern will be field testing LEADER and appreciate the Federal Railroad Administration’s funding support. The partnership with GE Transportation Systems also represents an important step in realizing the technology’s potential.”