OREANDA-NEWS. July 20, 2012. In the course of Business Forum “Strategic Partnership 1520” held in Sochi, JSC  Russian Railways and JSC Transmashholding signed the contract for delivery of ten 2TE25AM mainline freight twin-unit diesel locomotives, which will be equipped with diesel engines of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH (Germany) production. This was reported by the Holding’s PR Department. The document was signed by the JSC  RZD President Vladimir Yakunin and the CJSC Transmashholding General Director Andrey Andreev. As a base model for development of the new modification, the 2TE25A “Vityaz” diesel locomotive will be taken. As per the contract, one locomotive will be manufactured in 2012 and the rest in 2013. MTU 2700 kW power modules will be used for motorization purposes. 2TE25A diesel locomotive is the first diesel locomotive with the asynchronous traction drive in the domestic locomotive building. Work on the project was finished in 2010. Locomotives are manufactured in Bryansk Engineering Plant. In the course of testing carried out including tests executed on Baykal/Amur Railway sections with an intricate shape, Vityaz demonstrated significantly better capabilities to drive the heavy trains as compared with the series-produced locomotives. Transition to the mainstream use of these locomotives will make it possible to reduce the rolling stock operating costs and to extend freightage possibilities on especially hard sections of RZD railway system. Elaboration of the modified diesel locomotive with MTU engine would ensure the Transmashholding product line enlargement, allow to offer locomotives for customers, which maximally comply with the existing operation requirements on the specific railway section.