The first Russian serial locomotive that runs on gas turbine, the GT1h-002 locomotive, is now undergoing a test programme at Sverdlovsk Railways in real operating conditions.
It successfully pulled a train weighing 9,000 tons along the Surgut – Voinovka stretch of almost 700 km.
The main objective of the experimental run was to test the technical, economic, technological and environmental characteristics of the gas turbine locomotive on the northern section of the Sverdlovsk main line, which is not electrified, and where the GT1h-002 is planned to enter service in the future. Under development at the moment is the transport process which will see wagons weighing 9,000 tons pulled by the locomotive move hydrocarbons from the north of the Tyumen region to Voinovka station, and from there without transshipment onto the Trans-Siberian Main Line, where the powerful Granite three-section electric train engine will take over.
The GT1h-002’s main advantage compared to other types of gas-turbine locomotives is its ability to produce significant power despite its relatively small size and weight. Even when hauling its full design load, the GT1h can reach speeds of up to 100 kph. The gas turbine locomotive runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel that meets the highest environmental standards.
To establish regular traffic it will be necessary to estabilsh the appropriate infrastructure, including facilities for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and special refuelling areas for the rolling stock. So far, the only such complex is near Yekaterinburg.
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