China rolls out a more powerful locomotive

A locomotive producer in Hunan Province said Thursday it has rolled out the first electric locomotive with a hauling capacity of 3,000 passengers, more powerful than ones currently operating which are designed to haul a maximum of 2,000 passengers. Suo Jianguo, chief engineer of Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd. of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR), said the current-transmission locomotive has a maximum power of 7,200 kilowatts and an operating speed of 160 km per hour. He said the locomotive has computer-controlled operations, braking, fire extinguishers, power supply and alert systems. It is designed to cope with increasing passenger demand on China's high-speed railways.