OREANDA-NEWS. September 14, 2007. The new Russian DC passenger locomotive designated EP2K-002 manufactured by Kolomensky Zavod has successfully completed the final stage of preliminary (factory) tests, that is a 5,000 km run.

The tests didn't see any locomotive failures leading to improper train service or schedule violations.

The exploitation run was performed at St Petersburg – Passenger Moscow depot (Oktyabrskaya Railway). The EP2K-002 led passenger trains between St Petersburg and Svir, St Petersburg and Bologoe from August 24 till September 6. The first run from St Petersburg to Moscow was performed by the locomotive, which led the №23/24 Yunost train. In that run Valentin Gapanovich, the Russian Railways vice-president, examined the locomotive performance.

The exploitation run was 5,606km long, and the EP2K-002 headed 260 passenger coaches. The new DC locomotive did not have a background locomotive during the tests.

The EP2K-002 is being prepared for a railway equipment exhibition in Sherbinka now. After the show it will be sent for acceptance tests. An interdepartmental commission will take a decision on the locomotive batch production taking into consideration the test results for the two locomotives.

The firs Russian DC passenger locomotive designated EP2K-001 performed the exploitation run on the West Siberian Railway under winter weather conditions in 2006. Now the locomotive is being prepared for integrity and durance tests at the VNIIJT test range in Sherbinka