Bodi International, a Mongolian finance, infrastructure and mining company, awarded Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, a contract to supply 16 EMD SD70ACeLW locomotives to support operations on the Tavantolgoi – Gashuun Sukhait railway line. The deliveries are expected to start in 2022.
The railway is expected to be completed in 2022 and will be operated by Tavan Tolgoi Railway Company, owned by the Mongolian government. “These locomotives will undergo rugged service and must be able to withstand harsh conditions,” Marty Haycraft, President of Progress Rail said.
The new locomotives are designed to meet requirements of the 1520 mm gauge region and incorporate the latest industry technology. The locomotives are equipped with 16–cyclinder EMD 710 Series engines, rated at 4,500 BHP (3,355 kW). The engines are compliant with the International Union of Railways and EU Stage IIIA emissions standards.
“We are delighted to work with Progress Rail in the development efforts for this strategic rail line project for Mongolia. This is a project that will vastly support and impact the further growth of the Mongolian economy,” CEO of Bodi International, Amundra Amartuvshin said.
At the beginning of this year, Bodi International signed with UWC a contract for the delivery of 810 high-capacity gondola cars which will be used for coal transport from Tavan Tolgoi to China.
The Tavantolgoi – Gashuun Sukhait railway will cross southern Mongolia regions of Tsogttsetsii, Bayan-Ovoo and Khanbogd on a 250–km line with 16 bridges. It will connect the coking and thermal coal deposits in Tavan Tolgoi with Gashuun Sukhait port in Mongolia at the Chinese border. The line is expected to have a capacity of 30 million tonnes per year.
The new line will reduce the travel time and transport costs, attracting the volumes of road freight to the railways, which will reduce the impact on the environment.
The project was estimated at USD 1 billion.
Mongolia is relying on international connectivity to develop its import and export activities and has ongoing rail development projects. Two year ago, an agreement was signed between Russian Railways and Ulan Bator Railways for technical consulting services for the construction of the Tawan – Tolgoi – Zuunbayan line.
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