SIERRA LEONE: President Julius Maada Bio attended the unveiling of 10 diesel locomotives which CRRC Ziyang has supplied for the 197 km railway linking Leone Rock Metal Group’s New Tonkoliri Iron Mine with the port of Pepel.
The locos were unveiled on May 10, just three months after the order was signed, as part of events marking the completion of 12 mtpa of processing at the mine.
The 1 067 mm gauge locos have a 3 680 kW medium-speed diesel engine and AC transmission, with a pair of locos able to haul 10 000 tonne trains.
According to CRRC they are the first diesel locos to feature a ‘middle corridor arrangement and independent ventilation technology’, which optimises internal space and improves access for maintenance.
CRRC said delivery of the locos was ’another example of China’s high-end equipment going global and assisting China-Africa to jointly build the Belt & Road Initiative with high quality’.
