Roll-out for Azerbaijan’s first Alstom locomotive

Listen to this article

Alstom has presented the first new Prima T8 AZ8A electric freight locomotive it is supplying to Azerbaijan Railways (ADY).

From its factory in Astana, Kazakhstan, Alstom’s EKZ joint venture is building a total of 50 new locos for ADY, including 10 M4 AZ4A passenger locomotives.

The AZ8A is a heavy freight locomotive based on the KZ8A locomotives which are already in service in Kazakhstan.

Bernard Peille, managing director for Alstom’s Western and Central Asia Cluster, said: “Today we are very proud to present the result of strong collaboration between Alstom and ADY: the very first freight locomotive produced for Azerbaijan at our plant in Kazakhstan.

“We are pleased that this locomotive will be part of the development of the transit link between the Caspian and Black Seas, Russia and Iran – an intersection where Azerbaijan, with its 3,000 kilometres of line, plays a key role.”

The two-section AZ8A locomotive has eight axles and can haul up to 9,000 tonnes at 120 km/h.

Alstom has two rail joint ventures in Kazakhstan. EKZ employs 420 people and is supplying electric locomotives to Kazakhstan’s national railway company. KEP, which is based in Almaty, manufactures point machines.


Read more: Norway claims new world record for mobile connectivity in a tunnel


 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Rail News

Andrew Haines looks back on five years of CP6

As Control Period 6 (CP6) comes to a close on 31 March, Network Rail is taking a look back...

More like this...