E52500 Locomotive

The E52500 series electric locomotives are high-power traction vehicles operated on a 25 kV 50 Hz AC electrical system and leased by the Turkish Republic State Railways (TCDD) between 1998 and 2011. Designed by the Swedish company ASEA, these locomotives were manufactured by Croatia’s Končar company. They were temporarily integrated into TCDD’s inventory and used for both freight and passenger transportation.

By the late 1990s, although electrification efforts in Türkiye’s railway sector were increasing, the number of domestically produced electric locomotives remained insufficient. To address this gap, TCDD leased 15 E52500 series locomotives from Croatia in 1998. An additional five were leased in 1999 and two more between 2004 and 2005, bringing the total to 22. These locomotives were originally designed for the Yugoslav Railways (JŽ) and based on ASEA’s Rb type locomotive design produced for the Swedish State Railways. Despite being manufactured in 1967, their performance characteristics and maintenance condition allowed them to adapt well to Türkiye’s operational requirements.

^{E52500 Locomotive (Generated by Artificial Intelligence)}

According to available sources, the key technical specifications of the E52500 series are as follows:

• Axle arrangement: Bo'Bo'
• Length: 15.47 m
• Total weight: 82 tonnes
• Power output: 3860 kW
• Tractive effort: ~275 kN
• Maximum speed: 120–160 km/h
• Electrical system: 25 kV AC / 50 Hz
• Pantograph: Carbon sliding, spring-loaded

These locomotives are equipped with both electro-pneumatic and regenerative braking systems. The E52500 series locomotives temporarily filled the gap in Türkiye’s electric locomotive fleet, demonstrating successful performance especially on heavy freight lines. However, due to their advanced age and difficulties in sourcing spare parts, they were not a permanent solution. They have since been replaced by TCDD’s domestically produced and licensed modern electric locomotive series, such as the E43000 and E68000.

^{An E52500 Locomotive Owned by TCDD Used as a Commuter Train.} (Veli Ugur Sener Academy)