General Electric Transportation said that the first China Mainline Locomotive will be delivered to China by the end of the week.

Locomotive “CML 50001’’ is the first of 300 GE Evolution locomotives being delivered to China. The contract, signed in October 2005, is valued at $450 million.

Engines for the locomotive are produced in Grove City and are then shipped to GE’s Erie locomotive plant.

With a peak output of 6,250-horsepower, the engine offers 40 percent more power at 30 percent less weight than GE’s Evolution Series locomotives currently used in North America. As a result of weighing less, the 16-cylinder engine generates 84 percent fewer emissions and increases fuel efficiency by 3 to 5 percent.

“The result of a eight-year, $400 million development effort, the Evolution Series locomotive is the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and low emissions diesel-electric, heavy-haul locomotive to-date,’’ said Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation. “GE Transportation’s eco-friendly rail technology is an integral part of China’s sustainable Infrastructure development.’’

Two locomotives will be shipped fully assembled from Erie, to Beijing, China. The remaining 298 locomotives will be either manufactured as kits or parts in the U.S. and then assembled in China. Kits began shipping on May 18 with delivery expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Simonelli said the shipment is a great milestone for GE’s rail business, which is capitalizing on growth opportunities around the globe.

“The Mainline project is critical to GE Transportation’s success in China and presents us with the opportunity to become a long-term strategic partner to China’s Ministry of Railways,’’ he said.

Other leading rail products by GE Transportation include modernization programs to overhaul aging locomotives and GE’s Trip Optimizer. GE’s Trip Optimizer is a fuel and emissions saving control system for locomotive operation. It determines and follows the optimum speed to be used on specific routes to minimize fuel consumption, within the constraints of maintaining the schedule.