The Škoda Transportation Group will make a significant role in locomotive production for Tanzania

Škoda Transportation Group will make a significant contribution to the production of a fleet of new passenger locomotives in Tanzania, Africa. Škoda has signed a contract with Hyundai Rot for more than CZK 580 million to supply seventeen sets of complete electrical equipment, which will form the "heart" of new locomotives for the new railway line in Tanzania.

"With the current order, we are building on previous successful projects that we have already implemented with Hyundai Rotem group. In recent years, for example, it has been a significant supply of several dozen locomotives for Turkey," said Bedřich Koukal, CEO of Škoda Electric. In Tanzania, new locomotives with Skoda electrical equipment will serve on a roughly 550-kilometer-long new electric line on a line operated by local TRC railways between the seaside port of Dar es Sallam and the city of Makutupora. The machines will have to cope with difficult climatic conditions and large differences in altitude.

The project for Tanzania is technically very interesting for Škoda. "We will supply complete equipment including main and auxiliary drives, battery chargers, traction motors, gearboxes, or wheelsets. Locomotives will run at speeds of up to 160 km/h on the route, which in local conditions represents a significant acceleration of transport compared to the usual standard," says Karel Majer, Director of Škoda Electric Shop. The final assembly of locomotives will take place at the Hyundai Rotem production plant in Changwon, South Korea, where deliveries of Pilsen Skoda will also be directed.

Cooperation on the production of locomotives for the African country is one of a number of joint projects of Škoda and Hyundai Rotem. For example, the Pilsen company produced complete equipment for 80 locomotives for a Turkish TCDD customer for a multinational concern or participated in the supply of LRV "light unmanned metro" vehicles for the South Korean city of Incheon. "Our current order is a very important reference for us – it proves that we are able to succeed with our products on a global scale," adds Bedřich Koukal.