On February 8, two Chinese-built locomotives arrived at Buenos Aires sea port, Argentina. “It has been 40 years since new locomotives were incorporated and these are the first two for the Belgrano line,” Transport Minister Guillermo Dietrich said.
The locomotives’ 2,950 horsepower (hp) doubles the drive of the current antiquated engines serving the Belgrano Cargas rail line, and can reach a maximum speed of 80 km per hour.
The locomotives are part of a comprehensive overhaul of the rail system, largely financed by an agreement with the China Machinery Engineering Corporation. The purchase included 3,500 wagons, 2,530 of which have already been delivered, and another 107 locomotives, including spare parts, machinery, tools and shipping containers.
“Each new locomotive that arrives is essential to the transformation of Argentina’s rail network. We consider that these are coming to bolster the fleet that replaced the steam engines,” Ezequiel Lemos, president of the state-run firm Argentinean Cargo Trains said.
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