Beside the railway tracks in Bishkek, old-fashioned locomotives are waiting to take over. The visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan to the United States brings back an equipment update plan to prepare the traction force for the upcoming China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway boom.

Ten locomotives update fleet

The Kyrgyzstan National Railway Company announced the signing of a contract with Wabtec, a US railway equipment manufacturer, to purchase 10 TE33AC freight diesel locomotives, with plans to complete delivery by the end of 2027. The project has received financing support from the US Export Import Bank. Wabtec stated that the new locomotives will meet the growing demand for domestic and transit freight transportation. Jifang Railway Company has already operated a batch of TE33A locomotives produced by General Electric Transport Group in the United States and manufactured in Kazakhstan. This procurement further expands the proportion of modern locomotives. After 10 new locomotives are put into operation, it will drive about 30% of the locomotive fleet to achieve modernization and renewal. Keywords: modernization of railways, China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway

The railway boom is poised to take off

Zaparov stated that Kyrgyzstan is willing to continue to cooperate with the United States in the next five years to promote the renewal of other locomotives and vehicles, in order to improve the operational efficiency of new transportation lines, unleash the potential of railway transit transportation, and improve railway services in various regions of the country. The China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway is expected to be completed before 2030. With the new channel put into operation, the domestic and transit freight volume will further increase, which will put higher demands on equipment such as traction locomotives and freight cars. The update of existing locomotives and vehicles will provide equipment support for the operation of future new transportation channels, helping to enhance regional logistics and transit transportation capabilities.Editor/Min Jing