ISLAMIC Iranian Republic Railways (RAI) has ordered 100 diesel locomotives from GEC Alsthom to haul 140 km/h passenger trains and freights at up to 110 km/h. The 4300hp AD43C Co-Cos will be powered by Ruston 16RK215 diesel engines using Onix IGBT-based asynchronous traction drives.
Under the US$125m contract announced on December 23, the first 20 locos will be assembled at GEC Alsthom’s Belfort works in France. The next five will be shipped to Iran as kits for assembly by Wagon Pars, which will then build the remaining 75 using components manufactured by French and Iranian suppliers. The deal includes a four-year maintenance provision.
The first loco is scheduled to leave Belfort 18 months after the contract becomes effective, with the 25 French-built units to be delivered within eight months and the last during 2003.
- On January 7 GEC Alsthom announced that it had won a £30m order for 30 dual-cab AD33C diesels for Syrian Railways (below), as part of a bilateral trade package. With a top speed of 140 km/h, the 3200hp mixed-traffic units will replace some of CFS’s ageing Russian diesel locos. They will be powered by Ruston 12RK215 engines and Onix transmissions. o
