News

In late 2020, LKZ and Wabtec completed the first two prototypes of the new Class TEM11A.

A new product from LKZ are the Class TEM11A four-axle shunting locomotives.

The creation of LKZ stems from the fact that Kazakhstan, like most ex-USSR countries, urgently needed to modernise its railway rolling stock.

One of the other countries to which TE33A-9999 paid a visit for testing purposes was Moldova. In 2020 a contract for 12 Evolutions is being realised.

A 1,520 mm gauge Evolution, the GE-built demonstrator, also visited Poland. This diesel locomotive paid a visit from Kazakhstan to Poland in 2015, for evaluation by PKP LHS, the subsidiary responsible for operation of the freight-only, non-electrified 1,520 mm gauge 394 km Line 65. The visit took place in May and June 2015, following almost a 5,500 km long journey.

It is an interesting fact that, in spite of several hundred 1,520 mm gauge Evolutions on order, not a single LKZ-built locomotive was sold to Russia so far.

In December 2014 a new factory for diesel engine manufacture was inaugurated in Kazakh capital - Astana Diesel Service (ADS).

Certification of the Class TE33A Evolution diesels in Russia was a prerequisite for the sale of this type to most countries with 1,520 mm gauge networks.

On 17 January 2018, during the then Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev’s visit to the USA, KTZ and GE Transportation signed a contract for 300 diesel shunters. Final assembly was announced to take place at the LKZ works.

In our article about Prima locomotives we described problems at orders of electric locomotives from EKZ. But similar problems concern also KTZ orders of Tulpar Talgo and LKZ, both factories based in Nur-Sultan. Of the Evolution diesel locomotives, which are manufactured at the latter site, only part of the initially planned numbers were built so far.