Azerbaijan Railways has placed a €300 million order for 50 new KZ8A freight locomotives.
The new electric vehicles, which will be built by the Alstom, KTZ and Transmasholding joint venture, EKZ, can haul up to 9,000 tonnes at operating speeds of 120 km/h.
A further contract for the construction of a depot and provision of maintenance and training services is also being discussed.
Thibault Desteract, SVP Alstom Transport Russia and CIS, said: “Azerbaijan is a strategic transit point between Europe and Central Asia. The modern KZ8A freight locomotives will help increasing its carrying capacity in transportation of raw materials and goods.”
The locomotives will be assembled in the joint venture’s Astana factory in Kazakhstan between 2016 and 2018. The site is currently delivering a €1.3 billion order placed by Kazakh railways for 200 KZ8A freight locomotives and 95 KZ4AT passenger locomotives.
As well as a firm order for freight locomotives, Alstom signed a Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation with Baku Metropoliten to develop a new metro vehicle to replace the system’s current fleet.
