The fleet of electric locomotives of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia is five times larger than the fleet of diesel locomotives, which makes them critically important and necessitates the purchase of electric locomotives, said the company’s CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi in a comment to journalists in connection with the purchase of 55 electric locomotives from French manufacturer Alstom.
“The basis of Ukrainian logistics, Ukrainian railways, as well as European railways, is electric traction. It is more efficient, it accounts for 80% of our volume, it is five times more than their fleet, and there is a critical need in this segment,” Pertsovsky emphasized, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
According to him, the ratio of electrified and non-electrified networks of Ukrainian Railways is “about 50-50,” but 80% of cargo and passenger traffic passes through electrified sections.
Pertsovsky clarified that the cost of electric traction transportation is 4-5 times lower.
“It is absolutely critical for us to have a reliable fleet of electric locomotives in order to transport our cargo economically,” the head of the UZ board concluded.
It is noted that at the beginning of the project, the possibility of purchasing diesel locomotives was considered, but the international community and Ukraine, as part of it, decided to adhere to the principles of the Paris Declaration, avoiding new capital investments with a high environmental impact.
The chairman of the board acknowledged that in the current conditions, when there are risks of power outages, diesel locomotives are relevant, but for this purpose, the company is urgently restoring the diesel locomotives that it inherited in large numbers.
Separately, Pertsovsky reported that a group of engineers and machinists visited Azerbaijan, where similar locomotives from the French concern Alstom are in operation, to familiarize themselves with their operation and technical features.
As reported, the French company Alstom and Ukraine’s Ukrzaliznytsia signed a contract to supply 55 electric locomotives to Ukraine worth EUR473 million in 2027-2029. The first electric locomotive will arrive in Ukraine in the first quarter of 2027. This will be followed by certification and the necessary tests.
Ukrzaliznytsia emphasized that 37% of the project’s funding is non-repayable grant aid of approximately EUR 173 million from the URTF fund managed by the World Bank, while the rest is a preferential long-term loan from the EBRD for EUR 300 million.
