March 10,2015. Pilot runs of the new mainline locomotive TG16M No.002, made at Lyudinovsky Locomotive Plant (a member enterprise of Sinara Transport Machines) began in Sakhalin, Sinara Group’s PR Center reports.

The pilot run means the loco has to reach 20,000km mileage while actually transporting cargo; its traction figures must meet the declared parameters. The launching ceremony was attended by Russian and foreign media representatives, who came to Sakhalin to cover snow - and avalanche-fighting efforts of Sakhalin Railways.

Sinara Transport Machines representative Valeriy Tolstov said at a press briefing that the 002 loco’s mileage came to 5,000 km on January 17,2015, which completed the first round of tests on a 1,067mm gauge. The loco has already undergone all the acceptance and certification tests.

‘Our interdepartmental acceptance committee is expected to meet for the second time as soon as April, to get the compliance certificate for the loco in May, and to hand the TG16M over to Sakhalin Railways in late June,’ Tolstov said.