A Wabtec spokesman told Railway Age that the order is for “several dozen units,” which will be used to upgrade KTZ’s aging fleet and support growing rail demand in the region. Featuring a 12-cylinder, 4,500-h.p. Evolution Series engine, each unit “is designed to operate in the demanding extreme weather conditions and mountainous terrain of Kazakhstan,” according to the manufacturer.
The new locomotives will be built at Wabtec’s Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty plant in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital city. The plant is said to meet all global quality standards, such as MC ISO 9001-2015, and employ more than 700 people.
Wabtec said it will begin delivering the first locomotives from the order next year. The new additions, it noted, will join a fleet of approximately 451 Evolution Series freight locomotives already operating in KTZ’s fleet.
“Kazakhstan has a progressive and open-thinking local government that understands the importance of railways in driving the local economy,” said Gokhan Bayhan, Wabtec’s Regional Senior Vice President, Operations for CIS, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “KTZ serves as a critical link for the transportation of freight between China and the West. These Evolution Series locomotives will provide the efficiency, reliability, and operational savings to effectively support the growing demand on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.”
