The agreement stipulates organising production and operation of the locomotives, which will be known as GT1h, in Russia up until 2020. RZD will finance the project with Sinara producing the locomotives at its Lyudinovsky Locomotive Works. Contingent on the success of the prototype, RZD is expected to sign a further contract before January 1 2014 to purchase 39 additional locomotives, all of which will enter service by 2020.

The Sinara project follows RZD's work with Kuznetsov Design Bureau on a similar gas-turbine locomotive which commenced in 2006. The resulting dual-unit prototype, which comprises a turbine and power block unit and 17-tonne fuel tank, was built at Voronezh Locomotive Repair Plant and has a power output of 8.3MW. The locomotive weighs 300 tonnes, can operate at 100km/h and haul freight trains for up to 750km on a single tank of fuel.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) and Sinara have agreed to produce and develop mainline natural gas-powered turbine locomotives. Mr Vladimir Yakunin, president of RZD, and Mr Dmitry Pumpyansky, president of Sinara, signed the agreement at the St Petersburg Economic Forum today with a contract for delivery of a prototype locomotive expected to be agreed by August 1.

The agreement stipulates organising production and operation of the locomotives, which will be known as GT1h, in Russia up until 2020. RZD will finance the project with Sinara producing the locomotives at its Lyudinovsky Locomotive Works. Contingent on the success of the prototype, RZD is expected to sign a further contract before January 1 2014 to purchase 39 additional locomotives, all of which will enter service by 2020.

The Sinara project follows RZD’s work with Kuznetsov Design Bureau on a similar gas-turbine locomotive which commenced in 2006. The resulting dual-unit prototype, which comprises a turbine and power block unit and 17-tonne fuel tank, was built at Voronezh Locomotive Repair Plant and has a power output of 8.3MW. The locomotive weighs 300 tonnes, can operate at 100km/h and haul freight trains for up to 750km on a single tank of fuel.