Wabtec announced a $405-million agreement to supply Evolutions Series ES44ACi locomotives to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national railway company of Kazakhstan.
According to Wabtec, the new locomotives will upgrade KTZ’s aging fleet and support the region’s growing rail demand.
The locomotive features a 12-cylinder, 4,500-horsepower Evolution Series engine. This engine provides high horsepower and low life-cycle costs, improving performance in heavy-haul operations.
Wabtec said it is designed to operate in Kazakhstan’s demanding extreme weather conditions and mountainous terrain. The ES44ACi can operate longer between maintenance overhauls than the aging locomotives in KTZ’s fleet.
The new locomotives will be built at Wabtec’s Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty plant in Astana. The plant meets all global quality standards, such as MC ISO 9001-2015, and employs over 700 people.
Wabtec will begin delivering the first locomotives from the order next year. The new additions will join the approximately 451 Evolution Series freight locomotives already operating in KTZ’s fleet.
