The GE U17C diesel-electric locomotive was introduced by GE Transportation as an export model roadswitcher in 1973. Easy to spot due to its relatively short length — 52 ft 9 in (16.08 m) — it was powered by the 8-cylinder FDL-8T engine.^{[citation needed]} Very similar to the U18B, it included an extended body section to house a larger air filter and cooling units.

Original purchasers included Syria's CFS,^{[citation needed]}and the Lebanese national railway company.^[2]

The GE U17C is also used on the Aqaba Railway Corporation for transporting phosphates from the Mines to Aqaba.