Alstom successfully commissioned first 7 freight locomotives in Azerbaijan

“We are happy that our locomotives entered into commercial operation in Azerbaijan. Despite the important challenges imposed by the global pandemic we have been able to produce, conduct all necessary validation tests and deliver ready-to-run locomotives. It is a significant milestone of this key project that we are developing jointly with our partner ADY. With its strategic location, at the crossroad of the Silk Roads, this project aims at developing the railway infrastructure of the whole region. Our locomotives play a key role in boosting the freight transportation capacity within Azerbaijan, furthermore they also contribute to the ambitious goals of the country to interconnect the neighboring countries. We are very enthusiastic and we are looking forward to developing further our strong partnership with ADY.” said Guillaume Tritter, Managing Director of Alstom in Western and Central Asia.

The Prima T8 AZ8A locomotives will be running initially on the “Silk Road” East-West corridor of Azerbaijan linking the Caspian Sea main ports to the Georgian border and later all across the country.

In 2014, ADY signed a contract with Alstom for €288 million for supplying 50 electric locomotives, including 40 Prima T8 AZ8A heavy freight locomotives which are being produced at Alstom’s JV EKZ in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan and 10 Prima M4 AZ4A passenger locomotives which have been produced in Belfort, France and already delivered to Azerbaijan. 

Alstom’s Prima T8 is one of the most powerful electric locomotives in the world. This model is a 25 tons per axle two-section freight locomotive capable of towing up to 9,000 tons and running at 120 km/h, with installed continuous power of 8.8 Megawatts. The Prima T8 AZ8A is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -25°C to 50°C. It requires minimum maintenance and provides high reliability levels and low lifecycle costs thanks to its modular design.

Alstom’s Prima range is covering all market segments of locomotives from heavy-haul, freight and passenger operation and shunting or track work operation. Over the past 20 years, more than 3,200 Prima locomotives (more than 4,600 sections) have been sold worldwide.

Alstom is present in Western & Central Asia with more than 1,000 people, three country offices in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, five depots, repair center and two plants, EKZ in Nur-Sultan for electric locomotives manufacturing and maintenance and production of on-board transformers, and KEP in Almaty to produce point machines. Alstom is a major contributor to the revitalization of the region’s mobility industry and the development of its economy.

EKZ, a joint venture of Alstom, employs around 850 people and is working on supplying and maintaining the Prima electric locomotives ordered by KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway company and export markets, like Azerbaijan.