RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has conducted tests to determine the technical feasibility of increasing the weight of freight trains at the border-crossing point between Grodekovo, north of Vladivostok, and Suifenhe, China.
Currently, freight trains on the non-electrified Vozdvyzhensky - Grodekovo - Suifenhe line are limited to 3600 tonnes and a maximum of 41 standard wagons.
Using a new 9MW three-section class 3TE25K2M diesel freight locomotive, built by Transmashholding subsidiary Bryansk Engineering Plant (BMZ), the tests showed that the weight of freight trains can be increased to 5200 tonnes on the challenging section between Grodekovo and Suifenhe and from 6300 tonnes to 7100 tonnes between Vozdvizhensky and Grodekovo.
Remodeling the track layout at the border stations will make it possible to increase train length to 71 standard wagons, which will increase the capacity of the Grodekovo - Suifenhe railway border crossing by a third.
