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Wabtec Railway Electronics recently obtained a $13 million contract to provide electronic braking equipment to South African-owned freight railroad Spoornet.

During the next three years, the Wabtec Corp. subsidiary will retrofit about 50 locomotives and 3,300 freight cars with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking and wireline-based distributed power control systems designed to improve train handling and shorten cycle times. Spoornet plans to use the rolling stock on a coal line between Ermelo and Richards Bay.

In 2001, Wabtec began a 200-car retrofit pilot program for the railroad.

“Our pilot with Spoornet validated the safety, reliability and operational benefits of ECP and distributed power control over a four-year timeframe,” said Timothy Logan, Wabtec vice president and group executive-international sales, in a prepared statement.

Wabtec subsidiaries supply locomotive, freight car and transit vehicle components; build switchers and commuter locomotives; and provide locomotive and car aftermarket services.