Baku Metro launches 10 new railroad cars

2 July 2019 17:28 (UTC+04:00)

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By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Baku Metro keeps modernizing its fleet and has put into service two new trains of 10 railroad cars from Russia’s Metrowagonmash company.

“The maximum speed of the cars is 90 km/h, the engine power is 170 kW. The head railroad car has 38 seats, the rest - 44 each. In general, the head railroad car can carry 315 passengers, the rest - 329,” Etibar Isayev, Head of the Traffic Service Department of Baku Metro told reporters.

Isayev noted that the use of LED lighting in cars reduces energy consumption by 50 percent and increases their useful life by 75 percent, and that the new trains of five railroad cars each will be so far used on the Darnagul - Hazi Aslanov green line.

Further, he stated that the contract with Metrowagonmash provides for the production of 30 railroad cars of the 81-765.B. / 766.B model.

“Delivery of the other 20 railroad cars to Azerbaijan is planned in the remaining months of 2019 in two batches of 10 railroad cars each. In particular, in a month, in August, the second batch will arrive, and in September - the third,” Isayev said.

Baku Metro and Metrowagonmash concluded an agreement on January 30, 2019, for the production of railroad cars of the 81-765.B / 766.B model. The contract provides for the delivery of six trains of five railroad cars to Azerbaijan by the end of this year. Each train will include two head motor cars with control cabins and three middle motor cars.

In comparison with the rolling stock of previous models, the new trains have extended doorways, and also provide a free passage through the entire train. The producer took into account the technical features of the Baku Metro and therefore the original light graphic scheme was changed in accordance with the local information system.

Also, the new railroad cars distinguish from the previous ones in that they have air conditioning and ventilation, good thermal and noise insulation, as well as USB ports for charging different devices. In the front and rear railroad cars there are special places for the safe placement of wheelchairs.

Currently, Baku Metro has 25 stations on three lines – green, red and purple. Baku Metro is 36.63 km in length. It is planned to expand the infrastructure of Baku Metro and create a giant underground transport network consisting of 76 stations, six electric depots, and five lines with a total length of 119.1 km.

On April 19, 2016, the first two stations (Avtovagzal and Memar Ajami-2) of the purple line of the Baku Metro were put into operation. The distance between these two stations is 2.07 km. A total of 12 stations are planned to be built on the line. All stations of the purple line are capable of receiving trains consisting of seven railcars.

Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1