BODI International, which is overseeing construction of Mongolia’s approximately 250km-long Tavan Tolgoi - Gashuun Sukhait (TT-GS) railway project, has signed an agreement with Progress Rail for the supply of 16 120km/h EMD SD70ACeLW diesel locomotives.
The new 1520mm-gauge six-axle locomotives feature 3.355MW, 16-cyclinder EMD series 710 engines, and are compliant with the International Union of Railways (UIC) and EU Stage IIIA emissions standards. The locomotives are also equipped with a microprocessor control and remote monitoring and diagnostic systems, offering a maintenance interval of around 184 days.
Progress Rail anticipates that locomotive deliveries will begin in 2022, around the same time that construction of the line is due to finish. The locomotives will be operated by the state-owned Tavan Tolgoi Railway Company.
The railway will connect the Tavan Tolgoi coal fields - one of the world's largest untapped coking and thermal coal deposits - to the border with China and is expected to provide a significant boost to the Mongolian economy.
“These locomotives will undergo rugged service and must be able to withstand harsh conditions,” says Mr Marty Haycraft, president and CEO of Progress Rail. “We welcome the opportunity to showcase the leading performance of our EMD engines in these new units for Bodi International.”
Bodi International awarded a contract in January to Russia’s United Wagon Company (UWC) to supply 810 gondola freight wagons for the transport of coal from Tavan Tolgoi to China.
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