Ukrzaliznytsia has 5 times more electric locomotives than diesel ones – Board Chairman
JSC Ukrzaliznytsia's fleet of electric locomotives is 5 times larger than its fleet of diesel locomotives. This makes electric locomotives critically important and necessitates their purchase, board chairman of the company Oleksandr Pertsovsky said in a commentary to journalists in connection with the purchase of 55 electric locomotives from the French manufacturer Alstom.
"The basis of Ukrainian logistics and railways, as well as the pan-European ones, is electric traction. It is more efficient; it accounts for 80% of our volume; and there are five times more of them in the fleet. There is a critical need in this segment," Pertsovsky emphasized, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
According to Pertsovsky, the ratio of electrified to non-electrified Ukrzaliznytsia networks is generally "about 50 to 50," yet 80% of cargo and passenger traffic passes through electrified sections.
Pertsovsky clarified that transportation costs are 4-5 times lower with electric traction.
"Having a reliable fleet of electric locomotives is absolutely crucial for us in order to transport our cargo efficiently," concluded the chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia's board.
At the beginning of the project, the possibility of purchasing diesel locomotives was considered. However, the world community, including Ukraine, decided to adhere to the principles of the Paris Declaration by avoiding new capital investments that increase environmental impact.
The chairman admitted that, given the current risks of power outages, diesel locomotives are relevant. For this reason, the company is urgently restoring the large quantity of diesel locomotives it inherited.
Separately, Pertsovsky reported that a group of engineers and machinists visited Azerbaijan to familiarize themselves with the operation of similar locomotives from the French company Alstom and the features of the equipment.
