Russia: This information was shared by TMH in response to a request from ROLLINGSTOCK. The data were provided based on operating experience on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) with the 3TE28 and 3TE25K2M mainline freight diesel locomotives that use the two engines respectively.
Russia’s TMH brought the 18-9DGM engine and the 3TE28 locomotive it powers into production within the group in 2022, working to a tight deadline after supplies of Wabtec’s GEVO12 engines from the United States were restricted. The GEVO12 had powered TMH’s previous flagship mainline diesel locomotive, the 3TE25K2M, which could no longer be built once the supply route closed. Both locomotives were designed to RZD’s specifications for hauling 7,100-tonne trains over the difficult terrain of the BAM, so they share similar traction characteristics and the same 7,000 kg fuel capacity per section.
According to TMH, fuel consumption for the 18-9DGM on the 3TE28 ranges from 9-11 kg/h at idle to 560-570 kg/h at maximum traction, depending on operating conditions. The GEVO12 on the 3TE25K2M, by comparison, consumed 11-14 kg/h and 640-670 kg/h in the same scenarios.
“We’ve cut the minimum crankshaft speed of the Russian-built engine to 270 rpm,” TMH told ROLLINGSTOCK. “Together with a full switch to asynchronous traction drives for the auxiliary machines, that has cut hourly fuel consumption at idle by up to 20% per section. At full controller position, a 3TE28 section now burns 12% less fuel.”
100th 3TE28 mainline locomotive by Bryansk Machine-Building Plant with the anniversary Amur tiger livery. Source: a_ulan3/Telegram
TMH has also fitted the 3TE28 with a microprocessor system that loads the locomotive’s sections asynchronously. On gentle gradients, or when hauling a lighter train, the system automatically drops the trailing sections to a lower power setting or idle. The 3TE28 pulls further ahead of the 3TE25K2M on maintenance costs, and TMH puts the life-cycle cost of the Russian-engined locomotive 20-25% below that of the version with the imported diesel.
The 18-9DGM, built at the TMH plant in Kolomna, is a substantially reworked version of the classic Russian D49-type diesel engine. Among its innovations is an inverter starting system, which simplifies the drive and does away with several auxiliary components. The engine meets Stage IIIA emission standards. TMH has already updated the design: the 18-9DGM-02 variant adds a new-generation turbocharger and an optimised layout, and now powers the new TE26 combined freight-and-passenger locomotive.
More than 130 3TE28 locomotives have now rolled off the line at the Bryansk Machine-Building Plant. They are being deployed in growing numbers on the Eastern operating domain of the RZD network and are also in service on the private Pacific Railway. RZD says a series of design improvements made to the locomotive in 2025, based on operating experience, have improved both efficiency and reliability.
