As the first GE diesel locomotives arrive to renovate Ukrzaliznytsia’s diesel locomotive fleet, the state railroad is talking to Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, CRC and Skoda about starting domestic production of electric locomotives.

As the first GE diesel locomotives arrive to renovate Ukrzaliznytsia’s diesel locomotive fleet, the state railroad is talking to Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, CRC and Skoda about starting domestic production of electric locomotives. About half of total fleet of 3,551 diesel and electric locomotives date to the Soviet era. In coming years, UZ plans to auction off about 40% of its locomotive fleet through ProZorro. Given the breakdown rate, the 30 US-made locomotives that are to enter service here by February, will do the work of 40 existing locomotives, says Evhen Kravtsov, head of the railroad. By 2021, half of the railroad’s 20,000 km of track is to be electrified.