TUBITAK RUTE and TURASAS have developed the E1000 electric locomotive, capable of meeting the maneuvering and short distance load transportation needs of TCDD, with a modern driving system, 1-megawatt power and 85% localization rate.
The difficulties experienced in locomotives supplied from abroad paved the way for Turkey’s production of domestic locomotives.
According to the information received by the AA correspondent, “DE11000” type locomotives, which are in the TCDD inventory and have problems in the supply of spare parts from abroad, have been wanted to be modernized since the mid-1990s. For this purpose, offers were received from foreign companies, but the studies were not finalized.
In 2008, in the business development studies conducted by TULOMSAS (with its new name Turkish Rail System Vehicles Industry-TURASAS) with TUBITAK R&D teams, “DE11000” type locomotives were brought to the agenda to be modernized by turning them electronically in line with TCDD needs.
It was stated by TURASAS and TCDD that the “traction system” and “train control management systems”, which have the highest added value in railway vehicles, could not be produced in Turkey, and that these equipments were not produced under license even in locomotives produced in the country with foreign licenses.
Thereupon, a project proposal was prepared for the development of these technologies, which are needed by the Turkish rail vehicle sector and with very high added value, and the 1-megawatt E1000 Type Locomotive Development Project was submitted to the TUBITAK Public Institutions Research and Development Projects Support Program within the framework of the TARAL 1007 program.
Within the scope of the project, TCDD management supported the development of traction and train control technologies with local resources and the necessary knowledge on locomotive design.
Turkey’s first domestic electric locomotive, the E1000, was developed in 2011-2015. Within the scope of the related project, the train control and management system, traction system and all mechanical parts included in the modernization were designed by TUBITAK Rail Transport Technologies Institute (RUTE) and TURASAS.
Traction Converter, Traction Control Unit and Train Control and Management System, which constitute electronic systems and are among the components with the highest technological added value in the rail vehicle sector, were developed by TUBITAK RUTE.
With the E1000 Electric Locomotive Development Project, a 1-megawatt electric locomotive with a modern driving system capable of meeting the maneuvering and short distance load transportation needs of TCDD was developed. All laboratory, software and infrastructure works, factory and road tests, prototype production were done domestically.
Within the scope of the project, the domestic production rate of the systems, 100% of which were imported until today, reached 85% after the project was completed.
With the knowledge and experience gained, the ability to locally design and develop electric locomotives for new and different needs has been achieved.
The E1000 Project Results Implementation Plan includes modernized DE11000 locomotives. The DE11062 locomotive has been delivered so far, and the modernization of 5 DE11000 type locomotives is aimed in 2021.
7 diesel-electric locomotives were delivered to KARDEMIR company by TURASAS in 2020 with the knowledge gained in the project.
R&D work paved the way for the E5000
The R&D studies for the development of rail vehicles, which started with the successfully completed E1000 Project, advanced to the next level with the E5000 Project.
In the project, the managing institution was TUBITAK RUTE and the vehicle manufacturer stakeholder was TURASAS. Private sector companies also act as stakeholders within the scope of the project. Turkey’s dependence on foreign countries for its mainline electric locomotive will come to an end with the E5000 project, which will enable it to take place in global markets with the TURASAS brand.
Within the scope of the E5000 project, a new generation electric mainline locomotive with a speed of 140 kilometers per hour, capable of transporting cargo and passengers, with a power of 5 megawatts, with a certificate of Inter-operability Technical Specification in European Union Railways, is being developed in accordance with the needs of TCDD Tasimacilik Inc.
During the project and within the scope of the Project Results Implementation Plan, it is aimed to market or sell the systems developed in the domestic and international mainline locomotives, tram/metro vehicles, maneuver and short distance locomotives, high-speed train sets and similar rail vehicles.
Efforts to use the developed products in urban tram and metro vehicles have also gained momentum. Studies on this subject are carried out by TURASAS.
Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz