Škoda Group continues its successful cooperation with industrial corporation Wabtec and is working on the production of additional mechanical drives for locomotives for Kazakhstan. The Group has already supplied American company motor sets for more than 50 locomotives in recent years. The new contract includes deliveries for another 26 locomotives and is worth over € 12 million. The delivery will be realized during the year 2023.
„Locomotives have to fulfil very difficult conditions in Kazakhstan. So there is huge attention to quality and durability. I am glad that with this order we are confirming that we are able to succeed with our products on a global scale and with the world’s most demanding customers,“ says Jaromír Šilhánek, President of the Electrical Systems and Components product line at Škoda Group.
The locomotive delivery includes a total of 156 complete mechanical traction drives (six for each locomotive), which include the traction motor, gearbox and wheelset. The locos will operate in the harsh conditions of the Central Asian region and will have to withstand extreme temperature ranges from minus 55 to plus 55 degrees Celsius.
All drives will undergo a system of tests and trials before being put into operation – although the locomotives are designed for Kazakhstan, they are approved according to very demanding Russian norms and GOST standards. For example, the company must successfully prove the durability of both individual parts and complete sets, which means testing the complete drive including the gearbox and wheelset. The new locomotives are assembled directly in Kazakhstan.
