Ukraine's railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, has completed the first stage of negotiations with GE Transportation (the United States) about the acquisition of the next batch of locomotives, the company said in a statement on its website.

"General Electric production is loaded, we need to adjust to their schedule. Now we are discussing the supply of 20 to 40 locomotives," the statement quotes CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia Yevhen Kravtsov as saying.

He also announced plans to upgrade the fleet of electric locomotives. According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia decided to upgrade its equipment and is in talks with all manufacturers. In particular, the company plans to receive funds for upgrading the fleet of electric locomotives from the countries where the companies where the equipment will be purchased are located.

As reported, Ukrzaliznytsia completed the first stage of strategic cooperation with GE Transportation on the supply of locomotives.

On March 22, 2019, the last five of the 30 delivered TE33AC Evolution General Electric diesel locomotives under a contract arrived at Ukrzaliznytsia's railway depot from PJSC Kriukov Car Building Works (KCBW, Kremenchuk, Poltava region).

JSC Ukrzaliznytsia and GE Transportation signed an agreement on February 23, 2018, on the modernization of the locomotive fleet and the supply of new locomotives worth US$1 billion over 15 years. The first batch of 30 locomotives was supplied on condition of the 10% local content rule, which is to increase to 40% in future.