Azerbaijan Railways: New Chinese locomotive can haul up to 6,000 tons

The new locomotive brought to Azerbaijan from China will be capable of transporting between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of cargo, according to Yusif Temnikov, a locomotive driver at Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY).

Speaking to journalists, Temnikov said the systems of the locomotives imported from China are fully electronic.

"The difference between the Chinese-made AC50 locomotives and the older ones is related to innovation. Everything in this locomotive is electronic. This means the train will safely reach its destination," he said.

Temnikov noted that another major difference concerns the volume of cargo the locomotives can transport.

"For example, while an old locomotive could transport 3,000 tons of cargo, the new locomotive will be able to transport 5,000-6,000 tons. This itself represents savings and is beneficial for us and the Azerbaijani state," he said.

ADY has purchased seven AC50 locomotives from China, all of which have already been delivered to Azerbaijan. The locomotives were manufactured by China's CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd.

In June this year, ADY and CRRC Ziyang also signed a contract for the purchase of four new mainline passenger locomotives. The locomotives are scheduled to be delivered to Azerbaijan during 2027.