Cuba buys Russian passenger trains

cubastandard

Muromteplovoz SV-10 train set

CUBA STANDARD — In the first massive purchase of passenger rolling stock in decades, Cuban state rail company Unión de Ferrocarriles de Cuba (UFC) ordered 300 two-car shuttles from Russian rail manufacturer OAO Muromteplovoz, International Railway Journal reported.

Over the past five years, UFC has bought at least 164 DF7G-C diesel-electric engines from China Northern Rail Corp. Ltd. as part of a general overhaul of the island’s decaying rail system; most of the Chinese locomotives are pulling freight trains. The Russian order rivals the Chinese one in size.

According to Russian press reports, the first 17 sets of Russian-made SV-10 diesel shuttles have already been shipped to the island. The remaining 283 in the contract will be assembled at a Cuban plant near Matanzas, cutting the cost for Cuba in half; Cuban technicians are being trained in Murom, west-central Russia.
The simple design of the SV-10 is based on Soviet-era track maintenance vehicles. The 100km/h SV-10 train sets can seat nearly 100 passengers, according to Muromteplovoz.

According to International Railway Journal, the first sets will be used on a new line connecting the port of Mariel with Havana; the line is under construction.