A number of 12 locomotives contracted through the agency of the project financed by the EBRD-EIB consortium will be delivered to the country by the end of July.

In a response provided by Moldova’s Railways to IPN, it is said that the diesel locomotives TE33AC have GEVOI 2 engines. Compared with the previous generation of diesel locomotives TEIO, the new locomotives have a noxious emissions level that is by about 30% lower and consume by 15% less diesel. The locomotives are controlled by a microprocessor system and an on-board diagnostic system. The tender contest to buy locomotives was completed on September 30, 2018, with the company GE Parts LLC being chosen the winner. The contract was signed on November 6, 2018.

The purchase of locomotives is stipulated in the lending agreement to the value of €52.5 million signed with the EBRD in 2014. Later, the project was co-financed with the EIB, which provided € 50 million. Afterward, there were signed two grant agreements of €5 million for co-financing the purchase of locomotives through the Neighborhood Investment Facility and the grant agreement of €250,000 for implementing the Energy Management Information System from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund. This way, the total budget of the project financed by the EBRD, EIB and EU is of €106.75 million.

Besides the acquisition of locomotives, the project envisions the rehabilitation of railway infrastructure on 233 km of the Bender-Basarabeasca-Etulia-Giurgiulești segment. Moldova’s Railways undertook to replace the existing rails with R65 rail segments and to extensively and partially repair over 200 km of railways, to reconstruct 39 level crossings, to replace all the diesel generators at stations with new ones, etc.

According to the company, the rehabilitation of the Bender-Basarabeasca-Etulia-Giurgiulești railway segment and the purchase of new locomotives will enable to increase the circulation capacity 1.6 times and the average speed of freight trains to 60 km/h, up from 35 km/h at present.