Wabtec, an American rail technology company, will deliver locomotives to Kazakh Railways (KTZ) valued at 405 million dollars. KTZ is currently renewing its locomotive fleet, amid a drive to boost its transportation capacity.
The deal concerns Evolution Series ES44ACi locomotives. “The new locomotives will upgrade KTZ’s aging fleet and support growing rail demand in the region”, according to Wabtec.
The new rolling stock, which will be built in Kazakhstan’s capital city Astana, is designed to endure harsh weather conditions, says the American company. Kazakhstan has vast steppes, desert and mountainous terrain. Wabtec’s locomotives are designed to operate in such circumstances, and they have a longer and less costly life cycle than the locomotives currently in use by KTZ, the American company explains.
Critical Eurasian link
“Kazakhstan has a progressive and open-thinking local government that understands the importance of railways in driving the local economy,” says Gokhan Bayhan, Wabtec’s regional representative. “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.”
The first locomotives will be delivered to KTZ in 2025. The new additions will add to a fleet of approximately 451 freight locomotives from Wabtec already operating at KTZ. The order with the American company is not the only step KTZ has taken to upgrade its locomotive fleet. Earlier, it announced that it would buy nearly 600 locomotives from China by 2029.