The joint venture plans to market the 1520mm-gauge ac-traction
locomotives in Kazakhstan and across the Commonwealth of Independent
States.

The first five locomotives will be built at GE's Erie site
in the United States, and after these prototypes have been successfully
tested, assembly will shift to the JSC KZ plant in Astana, Kazakhstan,
using kits supplied by GE Transportation. Deliveries will be completed
in 2012.

Last year GE opened an assembly plant in Astana, which is
supplying a fleet of 300 Evolution locomotives to Kazakhstan Railways
(KTZ).