The DE 10000 diesel shunting locomotive will be exported by Turkiye to Tanzania, with TÜRASAŞ named as the manufacturer of the locally produced rolling stock.

DE 10000 Locomotive Export Heads to Tanzania
DE 10000 Locomotive Export Heads to Tanzania

The locomotive was built by TÜRASAŞ – Türkiye Raylı Sistem Araçları Sanayi A.Ş.⁠, the Turkish state-owned company specializing in rolling stock production. Authorities in Ankara describe the DE 10000⁠ as the first diesel locomotive of this type produced with local and national resources.

Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Turkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, announced the export and said the locomotive produced at the TÜRASAŞ Eskişehir Regional Directorate would enter the African market.

The minister said Turkiye’s work on domestic rail vehicles has enabled the country not only to manufacture locomotives for its own railway needs, but also to offer them abroad.

“Through the investments we have made, we are increasing the use of local and domestic vehicles on our railways day by day. At the same time, we are not limiting ourselves to meeting our country’s needs, but are offering the rail vehicles we develop and produce to international markets. The fact that our vehicles, the result of Turkish engineering and labor, are preferred abroad is a great source of pride for us. Following our discussions, I am pleased to announce that the locomotive produced at the TÜRASAŞ Eskişehir Regional Directorate will be exported to Tanzania in East Africa,” said Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

DE 10000 diesel shunting locomotive to enter Tanzania fleet

Uraloğlu said the production capabilities of TÜRASAŞ, which he described as one of the largest rail vehicle manufacturers in Turkiye and the Middle East, have moved beyond the region and reached the African continent.

“Our first locally and nationally produced diesel-electric locomotive, the DE 10000, will enter service in Tanzania’s railway fleet. This export is an important indicator of the level our local and national railway industry has reached and the trust it enjoys internationally,” Uraloğlu stated.

Turkish authorities present the DE 10000 as the country’s first locally and nationally produced diesel shunting locomotive. The export reflects Turkiye’s strategy to develop a railway industry able to supply rolling stock both for the domestic market and for export.

Özgün Motor developed in cooperation with TÜBİTAK

The locomotive to be exported to Tanzania is equipped with Özgün Motor, described as the first Turkish diesel engine with output above 1,000 hp. The engine was developed under a TÜBİTAK KAMAG project through cooperation between TÜRASAŞ and TÜBİTAK, Turkiye’s Scientific and Technological Research Council.

According to Uraloğlu, the engine has a high level of local integration, while its intellectual property rights are held by Turkiye.

“Özgün Motor, developed with a high degree of local integration and whose intellectual property rights belong entirely to our country, will be used for the first time on a locally produced locomotive platform and exported to international markets. The engineering expertise and design capabilities acquired during the engine’s development have elevated Turkiye’s technological competence in the field of propulsion systems to a higher level. Now that it has reached the commercialization stage, the engine stands out as a strategic product capable of meeting the needs of various sectors, starting with the railway sector,” Abdulkadir Uraloğlu added.

The export of the DE 10000 locomotive to Tanzania comes as Turkiye seeks to strengthen its presence in the international rolling stock market through projects developed by local industry and national research institutions.