Russian rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding is testing new modifications of the Yermak and Peresvet freight locomotives. The vehicles consist of two and three sections respectively that provide more power than in the current model. The vehicles will be tested in the Moscow region.

The brand new modification of the Yermak electric locomotive was classified as 3ES5S. It was developed for railways electrified with the alternating current (25 kilovolts and 50 hertz). The three-section locomotive is able to pull a set of wagons with a total weight of more than 7,100 tonnes. The vehicle is equipped with two-axle bogies, a traction drive with asynchronous motors (with a power of 8800 kilowatts per hour), anti-bump protection, a system of traffic management, the control system of distributed traction and brakes for long-haul trains. The 3ES5S electric locomotive should run 5,000 kilometres on the test range of Russian Railway Research Institute (VNIIZhT) in Shcherbinka, Moscow region.

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Peresvet diesel freight locomotives, source: Transmashholding.

Peresvet locomotives

The latest modifications of Peresvet diesel locomotives were typed as 2TE25K3M (two-section) and 3TE25K3M (three-section). They were produced for pulling heavy freight trains with a total weight up to 9,300 tonnes (the power is for the three-section vehicle). The tests are running on the tracks of Russian Design and Technological Institute of Rolling Stock (VNICTI) in Kolomna, Moscow region. The three-section locomotive should run a test distance of 10,000 kilometres.

Multisectional freight locomotives

Transmashholding started to develop high-power freight locomotives in 2004. Yermak is manufacturing at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (NEVZ), a part of the group. The plant produced the first three-section electric freight locomotive in 2006. The four-section modification was developed in 2014. Since that time, NEVZ manufactured more than 900 three-section and around 20 four-section electric locomotives.

The development of Peresvet diesel locomotives started at the same time as the Yermak units. This type is produced by Bryansk Engineering Plant (BMZ), also a part of Transmashholding. This type consists mostly of two-section modifications. The first three-section locomotive of Peresvet type was presented in 2017. BMZ manufactured only two units in a three-section composition. All the longish Yermak and Peresvet locomotives are operated by Russian Railways (RZD).