RUSSIA: Ural Locomotives has obtained Customs Union approval for its 3 kV DC 3ES6 and 4ES6 locomotives, which are based on the 2ES6 twin-section design with one or two intermediate sections added to provide additional power.
This follows testing at the VNIIZhT experimental ring in Shcherbinka.
Ural Locomotives Director General Oleg Spai said certification for the three and four section designs would open up new opportunities for the use of the locomotive type on heavy trains. The use of one booster section would enable the locomotives to haul trains of up to 8 000 tonnes, and two boosters up to 12 500 tonnes, subject to the use of a distributed brake control system.
