OREANDA-NEWS. Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (NEVZ, part of JSC Transmashholding) celebrated handing over of three-section AC electric freight locomotive 3ES5K Ermak No.500 to Joint Stock Company Russian Railways for operation.

This event was confined to a memorable date - the Day of Novocherkassk liberation from Nazis during WWII.

The milestone locomotive was assigned to Zabaikalskaya Railroad, home depot Mogocha. 114 electric locomotives of this type are operated in Trans-Baikal region at present. 3ES5Ks have proved themselves as reliable locomotives with improved traction and operational performance and are to replace obsolete and less powerful electric locomotives of VL80 series. Freight locomotives of Ermak family are manufactured with one, two or three sections. Commercializing of AC electric locomotives 3ES5K with three sections started in 2007. It was designed basing on the two-section locomotive. Other than the basic model, this electric locomotive is fitted with the 'booster' (intermediate) section set between the head sections of the locomotive thus ensuring a power increase from 6560 up to 10000 kW. The booster section has a set of equipment providing for locomotive operation in traction and regeneration braking mood while controlled by one locomotive crew from the cabs located on the head or tail sections.

Ermak is used to haul extra heavy trainsets on tracks with rugged topography; it is capable of driving trains with the weight up to 6300 tons.

3ES5K electric locomotives are in operation on the East-Siberian, Far-East and Zabaikalskaya Railroad, which are branches of JSC RZD.