Alstom Reveals First Electric Locomotive for Azerbaijan Railways Order
Alstom has revealed the first of 40 Prima T8 AZ8A electric freight locomotives which it has designed for Azerbaijan Railways (ADY). The units are being produced in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana by EKZ, the company’s joint venture with CJSC Transmashholding. Alstom is also producing 10 Prima M4 AZ4A passenger locomotives for the operator, the first of which it revealed at its plant in Belfort, France, in October 2017 where they are being manufactured. The contract for the order of the 50 locomotives was signed in 2014.
Bernard Peille, Alstom Managing Director for the 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 AZ8A is based on the KZ8A broad-gauge electric freight locomotive, which was developed for Kazakhstan’s national railway company. The AZ8A, a Prima T8 heavy freight locomotive, is adapted for the specific technical requirements of Azerbaijan Railways.
The AZ8A has 8 axles and is one of the most powerful types of electric locomotive in the world, and the AZ8A, which is a two-section freight locomotive, is capable of towing up to 9,000 tons. The maximum continuous power is 8.8 megawatts and the maximum speed is 120 km/h. Alstom has designed the AZ8A to operate in temperatures ranging from -25°C to +50°C and require minimal maintenance with low life-cycle costs thanks to its modular design. The specifications of the model are also compliant with GOST (CIS ‘state standards’) technical standards.
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