KAZAKHSTAN: Chinese manufacturer CRRC has handed over a diesel hybrid shunting locomotive built for national railway KTZ.
KTZ said its shunting locomotives operate for an average of 4 to 6 h per day, and the use of hybrid technology would provide fuel savings.
At the handover on February 26 CRRC and KTZ discussed potential co-operation on digitalisation, track and electrification equipment inspection, high speed trains and technologies to automatically change wagons between 1 435 and 1 520 mm gauge tracks.
In October 2023, KTZ and CRRC signed a US$1·3bn framework agreement covering the supply of up to 100 shunting and 100 main line locomotives. In July 2024 CRRC Ziyang began delivering CKD6S diesel shunting locomotives developed to KTZ’s requirements, and the first TE36A main line diesel locomotive was delivered by CRRC Dalian at the end of 2024.
CRRC expects to deliver 90 locos from the KTZ order this year. It will also equip workshops and train maintenance staff.
