Commercial operation of Prima T8 electric locomotives has started in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Railways (AZD CJSC) has started commercial operation of the first seven Prima T8 AZ8A freight locomotives manufactured by Alstom. These electric locomotives will run first on the section of the East-West transport corridor on the new Silk Road, which connects the main ports of the Caspian Sea with the Georgian border. Recently, the line was converted from DC 3 kV to AC 25 kV.

Tests for acceptance of these electric locomotives have been conducted since August 2020.

Prima T8 AZ8A is one of the most powerful electric locomotives in the world. This 8.8 MW two-section freight locomotive has an axle load of 25 t and can operate a train weighing up to 9,000 t at a speed of 120 km / h.

The locomotive operates in the temperature range from -25 to +50 ° C. Thanks to its modular design, it can operate with minimal maintenance and low life cycle costs, while providing a high level of reliability.

The first seven Prima T8 locomotives were received from AZD under a contract signed in 2014 with Alstom for 50 electric locomotives worth € 288 million, including 40 Prima T8 AZ8A freight locomotives and 10 Prima M4 AZ4A passenger locomotives (assembled in Belfort, France and already delivered to Azerbaijan).

Prima T8 locomotives are based on the KZ8A electric locomotive platform (operated in Kazakhstan) and are manufactured at the Elektrovoz Arastyru Zauyty (EKZ) plant in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. The EKZ plant is a joint venture between Alstom (with a 75% stake) and Russia's Transmashholding (25%).