Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 2 / Trend D. Azizov /
The Consortium of Chinese CNTIC and CNR DLRC will accelerate the supply of 11 freight locomotives to Uzbekistan, Uzbekiston head Temir Yullari told Trend today.
It was previously reported that in December 2011, Uzbekistan Railways signed a contract with a Chinese consortium to supply 11 electric freight locomotives worth $44.39 million.
The delivery of the first batch of locomotives is scheduled for early 2013 under its contract terms. Completion is scheduled for late 2015, the Uzbekistan Railways said.
According to the schedule of an accelerated delivery, the first electric freight locomotive will be delivered to Tashkent in late 2012. All electric locomotives will be supplied by late 2013.
The project is financed by Uzbek Railways's own funds worth $2.22 million (five percent of the contract value), and Chinese Eximbank's loan worth $42.17 million.
A loan was allocated for 20 years with a five-year grace period at an interest rate of 2.25 percent per annum.
In 2002-2004, China's CSR Zhuzhou electric lokomotive delivered 12 freight locomotives and spare parts worth $40 million to Uzbekistan Railways.
The contract was fully financed with credit from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development allocated to the Uzbek government in 1999.
CSR Zhuzhou Electric provided Uzbekistan with 15 passenger electric locomotives worth $74.3 million in 2008-2010.
The contract was financed by Chinese Eximbank's loan worth $ 70.1 million and Uzbekistan Railways's own funds.
At present, Uzbekistan implements a comprehensive program of developing the railway worth $1.73 billion.
According to the program, it is planned to invest $490.32 million in the construction of new railway lines and the restoration of lines and infrastructure, $223.9 million in the electrification of railway lines and $1.019 billion in the development of repair bases and renovation of the rolling stock till 2014.
According to the calculations, the program implementation will increase freight turnover by 35.1 percent - to 31.65 billion ton-kilometers, passenger turnover - by 23.6 percent to 3.080 million passenger-kilometers by 2014.
Uzbekistan Temir Yollari was formed in 1994 after leaving the Central Asian Railway. The authorized capital is fully owned by the state.
The total length of railway is 4,100 kilometers in Uzbekistan. About 66 percent of turnover in the country and almost 80 percent of total export and import freight transportation fall on railway.