ASTANA – Silkway Transit, a private freight railway carrier in Kazakhstan, invested more than $100 million in new locomotives, reported Kazinform on March 6.
Photo credit: Silkway Transit.
By the end of the first half of 2023, the freight railway carrier will replenish its fleet with 16 new shunting and export diesel locomotives of the TEM9 series.
The four-axle diesel locomotive of the TEM9 series, designed for shunting and hauling operations, is equipped with all modern systems and options and has a one and a half times higher traction characteristics as compared to the most common shunting diesel locomotives of TEM-2 series in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
According to the Kazakh government’s transport and logistics potential development concept until 2030, insufficient locomotive traction and significant depreciation of the locomotive fleet of up to 70 percent create a shortage in the railway transport system’s carrying capacity, resulting in the extension of the cargo delivery deadline.
The lack of shunting thrust is especially acute. The freight railway carrier is one of few companies in the country that purchase new shunting locomotives. According to experts, the shortage of shunting locomotives will reach 307 units without additional investment by 2032.
The SilkwayTransit has a fleet of 66 freight locomotives. The company’s locomotives are fully provided with infrastructure for all technical and service maintenance types.
