The Alstom company is negotiating with French banks and the government of France on provision of a loan to Ukraine for purchase of new locomotives. Alstom’s development director in Ukraine Igor Vorobiev announced this in an interview with the Lokomotiv Inform publication, the CFTS reports.
"One of Ukrzaliznytsia’s main conditions for supply of electric locomotives is attraction of funding for this project. Alstom is currently negotiating with a number of French banks and the French government on opening a credit line for Ukraine. We are all aware that the issue of funding is complex, as a rule, and it can significantly increase the period of implementation of a project, but I hope that our negotiations will be successful and that we will be able to make an attractive technical and commercial offer to our Ukrainian customer," Vorobiev said.
He also listed a number of technical requirements that Ukrzaliznytsia has set for new locomotives. According to Vorobiev, the Ukrainian railway company is interested in acquiring a dual-system electric locomotive that is capable of transporting loads of 6,000 tons through passes with up to 32 gradients without using an auxiliary locomotive.
As reported, Alstom held talks with Ukrzaliznytsia in January this year. At the time, they discussed possible supply to Ukraine of electric locomotives manufactured based on the Alstom KZ8A electric freight locomotive, which is produced in Kazakhstan.
