BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) CJSC is negotiating the purchase of an additional 14 freight locomotives from China, Head of ADY’s Public Relations Department Bakhtiyar Hajiyev said.
He noted that the process remains at the negotiation stage, and the timeline for finalizing the acquisition has not yet been determined.
According to Hajiyev, the locomotives presented today are the first rolling stock purchased from China in ADY’s history.
"The locomotives are equipped with modern control and safety systems. The technologies used enable the transportation of heavier loads and more efficient freight operations overall. These locomotives will be used for cargo transportation along international transport corridors passing through Azerbaijan," he said.
Hajiyev also noted that the new locomotives comply with the International Union of Railways (UIC) Stage IIIA environmental standards.
He added that global demand for freight transportation is currently increasing, particularly along the Middle Corridor. Accordingly, the number of block trains dispatched from China to Azerbaijan is also rising.
"This is prompting Azerbaijan Railways to expand and modernize its locomotive fleet in line with modern challenges. The acquisition of new locomotives should be viewed not merely as an upgrade to the ADY fleet, but also as a response to the rising demand for transit freight transportation along the international transport corridors passing through Azerbaijan," Hajiyev emphasized.
He added that the new technology enables two locomotives to be coupled together and operated by a single crew. This makes it possible to transport heavier and longer freight trains over greater distances.
Seven new AC50-type freight locomotives, manufactured by the Chinese company CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd., have already been delivered to Baku.
