FORT WORTH (WBAP 24/7 News) - With about a month to go before the scheduled opening of its locomotive plant in far north Fort Worth, GE Transportation, a division of General Electric, says it's still trying to fill its first 300 jobs.

The locomotive factor is under construction just west of Texas Motor Speedway. When complete, it will churn out GE's Evolution diesel -electric locomotives that a company official describes as "the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly heavy haul locomotive in the world."

"We're not expecting production to begin until the end of January, so we're still ramping up," said spokesman Manley Ford.

As of last week, GE had hired 215 workers in Fort Worth, he said. By November, more than 12,000 people had submitted job applications through www.getjobs,intexas.com, the company's website.

GE is taking its time with hiring, he said, because the jobs require more than just traditional skills.

(Copyright 2012 WBAP 24/7 News. All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved.)