Electric locomotive 2ES10 Granit first to pull a record heavy 9K-ton train across the Ural mountain range
Mainline electric locomotive of the 2ES10 Granit series is one of the most powerful railway engines in the world. The asynchronous traction motors yield the power of 8,800 kW, while its three-section version (with an extra booster section) generates 13,200 kW. Despite its standard dimensions, the Granit is superior to its predecessors as it is capable of pulling trains 40-50% heavier. The Granit model was launched for large-scale manufacturing at the Ural Locomotives plant, a joint venture between the Sinara group and the German industrial giant Siemens.
Now that the Russian Railways introduced such powerful electric locomotives to its rolling stock, this will enable operating trains of increased weight and length. For example, until now the Sverdlovskaya branch of the Russian railways could not allow trains of over 6.3 thousand tonnes on mountainous sections. The heaviest wagons had to be decoupled, pulled separately, then coupled back. From now on, the local network can handle trains of up to 9 thousand tonnes without having to re-marshal them.