(BelTA) – There are plans to finish the Belarusian-Chinese project to buy electric freight locomotives worth about $100 million for Belarusian Railways by the end of the next year, the press service of Belarusian Railways told BelTA.

The new locomotives will be used with a view to developing the transit potential of the railway transport in Belarus, said the source. For instance, the locomotive BKG1’s capacity is 9,600kW. It can haul freight trains weighing up to 9,000 tonnes depending on the railroad profile and speed conditions. It will allow Belarusian Railways to considerably increase its capacity to transport transit cargoes, raising its throughput capacity, and reducing operation costs.

The press service reminded that representatives of Belarusian Railways, China Machinery and Electric Equipment Import and Export Company (CMECMEE), and Datong Locomotive Factory had signed a contract for the delivery of 12 two-unit main-line electric freight locomotives with increased power. Two locomotives were delivered in H1 2012. Belarusian Railways will get four more by the end of the year. The rest of the locomotives will be delivered in 2013.

According to the source, in September Belarusian Railways started assessing field performance of the new electric locomotives. At present specialists are verifying technical parameters and software settings while engine crews are doing the necessary preparations and run-in tests. At present the BKG1 locomotives are used on the routes Orsha-Minsk-Baranovichi and Orsha-Minsk-Molodechno.

Belarusian Railways also told BelTA that top executives of the Belarusian railway operator and CMECMEE representatives met in Minsk a while ago. The Chinese side confirmed that the project will be finished on time.