Monday, May 07, 2012 -
Uzbekistan has begun talks with a Spanish locomotive maker on acquiring two hybrid trains designed to operate with electric and diesel traction, according to an industry news outlet on Thursday.
The high-speed trains, built by Spanish company Talgo, will run on tracks throughout southern parts of the country, which are partly electrified.
Each Talgo 250 Hybrid locomotive will come with two power cars, two generator cars, eight passenger wagons, and a bistro vehicle, the Railjournal.com web site reported.
They are also made to work on variable-gauge lines.
The trains will service some 90 miles of railway linking the cities of Marokand and Karshi, which are currently in the process of electrification. The Talgo trains will operate in diesel mode when not on electrified lines. Work is expected to be completed in 2016.
Last year, state firm Uzbekistan Railways commissioned two Talgo trains for services between the capital city Tashkent and Samarkand city.
Talgo 250 electric trains can carry around 280 passengers.