Turkey fourth country to manufacture hybrid locomotive

Turkey joins a small group of nations as it becomes the only fourth country - after France, Japan and China - to have acquired hybrid shunting locomotive technology that offers reduced fuel consumption and lower operating costs.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan recently shared the latest developments in the local production of transport vehicles, aimed at reducing Turkey's dependency on foreign technological products.

He noted that the locality ratio of Turkey's first "national hybrid shunting locomotive" has reached 60 percent.

The minister said that Turkey wants to increase that ratio to 80 percent for its first new-generation hybrid shunting locomotives, which have been designed under the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and will be jointly produced by Turkish Locomotive and Engine Industry Corporation (TÜLOMSAŞ) and ASELSAN. "The locality ratio will ultimately be increased to 100 percent. The production of the locomotive prototype has been completed," Turhan said.

The locomotive has been produced in accordance with International Union of Railways (UIC) standards. The locomotives will be completed next year and after a number of test drives, they will join the TCDD fleet.

The new-generation locomotive reduces fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent; has a lower acoustic noise level, reduced fuel consumption and lower operating costs, Turhan said.

It will be produced for export as well as domestic use. The domestic production of transport vehicles like locomotives will provide a real contribution to the development of the national economy and subsidiary industry, the minister added.

He underlined that the ministry has mobilized all facilities in the railway sector for local and national production in the last 16 years. Turhan added that they have relied on strong human resources and knowledge from all the companies operating in the sector as well as industrialists and their experiences in this process.

Turhan said that they have procured parts from nearly 20 companies in 20 cities for the locally produced locomotive. "TCDD, TÜLOMSAŞ, ASELSAN and other companies worked hand in hand to make Turkey only the fourth country in the world with a hybrid railroad vehicle."

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