The Chinese government has supplied locomotives for the new railway through Uzbekistan

The issue of locomotive fleet renewal is a significant challenge faced by the majority of post-Soviet countries. The locomotives inherited from the USSR are experiencing a significant decline in functionality, and the replacements produced by the same enterprises are not consistently available. In addition, the political and military events that have occurred in the region have forced some post-Soviet locomotive-building enterprises to cease production. One such example is Luganskteplovoz, which is located in the Ukrainian Donbass region.

In the near future, Uzbekistan will require additional locomotives. A recent development has been the signing of an agreement between China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan for the construction of a new railway. The route, which will traverse the territory of Uzbekistan, will run from Kashgar to Torugart, then on to Makmal, Jalal-Abad and finally Andijan. Construction is scheduled to commence in October 2024 and is projected to be completed in six years, by 2030.

The railway will facilitate the delivery of goods from China to Europe via Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia, offering the shortest possible route. The new railway will constitute an important component of the Middle Corridor. Consequently, in all the countries through which it passes, the necessity for new locomotives and the modernisation of existing ones will increase significantly as a consequence of the growth in freight traffic.

As might be expected, China has commenced assisting Uzbekistan with the replenishment and modernisation of its locomotive fleet in advance. On 15 August 2024, Uzbekistan's railway operator, Uzbekistan Temir Yollari JSC, entered into a contractual agreement with China's CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive for the modernisation and enhancement of Uzbekistan's locomotive fleet.

It has been established that this contract was the consequence of agreements reached during the visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to China.
The document was signed by Ziya Narzullayev, who serves as the chairman of the board of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari, and Wang Qiaolin, who holds the position of president of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.

The agreement stipulates that the Chinese company will modernise 12 electric locomotives of the Uzbekistan series currently in use on the country's railways, as well as supply 38 freight and passenger electric locomotives, diesel locomotives and shunting locomotives, with instalment payments scheduled until 2034.

It is evident that the expansion of railway infrastructure capacity in the Middle Corridor countries, particularly in Uzbekistan, has already commenced. This is evident in the supply of locomotives, which are of paramount importance for the functioning of railway transit.

Vladimir Tskhvediani
Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Strategic Partnership Information Support Centre

SR-CENTER.INFO