Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 2 / Trend D. Azizov /
Uzbekistan Railways plans to purchase two hybrid trains on electric and diesel traction from the Spanish Talgo company, the carrier's management told Trend on Wednesday.
The source said talks with the Spanish company on volume and timing of deliveries are currently underway and the scheme of financing the purchase of trains is also being worked out.
The company clarified that the subject under discussion is the acquisition of Talgo-250 trains, equipped with a change of gauge mechanism. These trains have a special technical train equipped with a powerful generator group which allows it to move both via the electrified and non-electrified way. The energy necessary for the traffic on non-electrified tracks is produced by two generators installed in the cars. The change of the electrical system on to the diesel system and vice versa is possible without stopping the train.
Hybrid trains are planned to be used on the Marokand - Karshi section running to a length of 140.8 kilometres in the south. Uzbekistan began electrification of this section worth $234.7 million earlier this year and plans to complete this work by 2016.
Running the trains in service will not stop any construction works taking place which are underway. The speed of a hybrid train on electricity will reach 250 km / h, diesel - 200 km / h.
Last year, Uzbekistan Railways purchased two high-speed AVE 250 electric trains for 38 million euros from the Spanish Patentes Talgo S. A. The project was financed by the carrier's own funds of 19 million euros and credit of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan (FRDU) for the same amount. FRDU allocated its loan to Uzbekistan Railways for 10 years with a two-year grace period at an annual credit rate of two per cent, including the margin of the refinancing bank.
Currently, trains run along the Tashkent - Samarkand route to a length of 344 kilometres, covering this distance in 2.5 hours.
Under the state comprehensive programme of development and modernisation of the rail industry worth $ 1.73 billion, it is planned to direct $1.019 billion to the development of repair facilities and rolling stock. In particular in 2011-2015, Uzbekistan Railways plans to purchase 10 cargo, seven passenger electric locomotives, as well as seven shunting and seven passenger diesel locomotives worth $105 million.
Uzbekistan Railways was formed in 1994 after the withdrawal from the Central Asian Railway and is fully owned by the state.
In Uzbekistan, the total length of railways is 4100 kilometres. Some 66 per cent of freight turnover within the country and almost 80 per cent of export and import cargo fall to the railways.
