Russia: As Gudok cites Oleg Chikirkin, Chief Engineer of the Traction Directorate of Russian Railways (RZD), the production of the prototype 940 kW six-axle TEM29 shunting gas locomotive with a liquified natural gas (LNG) traction is planned for 2026 and its certification for 2027.
The price of the locomotive, which will be used at the Ural-Siberian section of the railway network, will be decided in 2024. News on the development of such a TEM23-based vehicle was announced by TMH last year.
Based on the 2TE35A mainline diesel locomotive, Sinara–Transport Machines is developing an LNG locomotive with a tender, the 2TE35AG. Its prototype will be built in 2027 and certified in 2028.
VNIKTI, a Russian research and development institute for rolling stock, is working on converting the TEM18DM and 2TE116U diesel locomotives to natural gas and diesel traction. The conversion will reduce CO2 emissions by 20% and pollutant emissions by 50%. Series production of an LNG modification of TEM18DM will start in 2025.
