Cuba orders 300 dmus from Russia

Cuba orders 300 dmus from Russia
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Written by Erwin Reidinger

CUBAN Union Railways (UFC) has placed an order for 300 two-car dmus with
Russian manufacturer Murom, the first of which has already been shipped
to the island.

The 100km/h four wheel motor cars are classified type SV-10 and are
equipped with a 176kW Yamz-238M5 diesel engine with mechanical
transmission, while the trailer vehicles are designated VS-5. The
powered vehicle weighs 22 tonnes while the weight of the unpowered car
is 15 tonnes. A 2+3 seating layout provides 45 seats in the motor car
and 48 in the trailer.

The 25.2m-long trains are based on track maintenance vehicles produced
by Murom in large numbers for customers in the CIS region. The first 17
sets will be manufactured at Murom while the remaining 283 trains will
be assembled in Cuba.

Cuban officials have stated that the first sets will be used in Artemisa
province, where a new line to the port of Mariel is under construction.

While the design appears to be very basic, the trains should be much
better suited to Cuban operating conditions than more advanced
equipment. Apart from the ill-fated Class Dm11 single-car units built
for VR Group, Finland by GEC Alsthom in Spain, which were rejected by
the Finns and later sold to Cuba, Class SV-10 will be the first new dmus
delivered to Cuba in decades. Class Dm11 never worked properly in Cuba
due to their sophisticated engineering. Only a few are serviceable at
present and some have not worked at all since arriving on the island.

Source: "Cuba orders 300 dmus from Russia | International Railway
Journal" -
http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/central-south-america/cuba-orders-300-dmus-from-russia.html?channel=542