The Ukrainian Railways public joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) performed 32 demonstration trips with a TE33A locomotive manufactured by the General Electric company from September to December 2016, Ukrzaliznytsia announced this to the CFTS portal. The trips were performed in accordance with an agreement between Ukrzaliznytsia and the American company.
According to the information provided, the trips involved freight trains on several routes on the Odesa Railway.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, the company gained "valuable experience from the operation of the latest locomotive." However, the company did not disclose its management’s intentions regarding future work with this locomotive and General Electric locomotives in general. It has also not yet disclosed where the prototype TE33A locomotive is currently located.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, an analysis of the demonstration trips showed that the General Electric locomotive has the following major advantages over the locomotives that are currently used to pull freight trains on the above-mentioned routes:
- Improved traction;
- Increased time between overhauls;
- Lower fuel consumption;
- The use of electrodynamic brakes;
- Heating of the main reservoir;
- Comfortable working conditions for locomotive crews.
As reported, the locomotive arrived in Ukraine in August, and it was presented to the public in Kyiv at the end of September. The six-axle, single-section TE33A diesel locomotive has a gross horsepower of 3,356 KW (4,500 HP) and a maximum speed of 120 km/h. The locomotive is equipped with a V 12, four-stroke engine.
As the CFTS reported, a similar locomotive is already in full operation in Ukraine (the Ivano-Frankivsktsement company has been operating a TE33A locomotive manufactured by General Electric for more than three years).
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