US company Wabtec Corporation is providing electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking equipment for 159 iron ore locomotives for Rio Tinto in Australia. The contract, valued at about $28 million, includes equipment, software, test benches and aftermarket support. In 2011, Wabtec signed a separate, $21 million contract to provide ECP equipment for Rio Tinto to retrofit its fleet of iron ore freight cars.

“The advantages of electronic braking have been proven in commercial use by railroads around the world,” said Albert Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and CEO. “Rio Tinto’s continued investment in this technology demonstrates that heavy-haul railroads can deploy ECP to reduce cycle times and improve train handling, and we are pleased to be part of their conversion project.” With standard pneumatic brake equipment, the brakes are applied and released throughout the train sequentially, one car after another. ECP equipment uses an electronic signal to apply and release the brakes simultaneously throughout the train. As a result, ECP-equipped trains can operate safely at higher speeds with up to a 60% reduction in stopping distance. This leads to improved throughput and capacity, reduced wear on wheels, rails and brake shoes, and improved efficiency with a favorable return on investment.