VL11

The VL11 ВЛ11 is an electric mainline DC freight and passenger locomotive, built in Georgia, used in Russia and Ukraine. The initials VL are those of Vladimir Lenin (ru: Владимир Ленин), after whom the class is named.

The ВЛ11 are built in two-section units, but can be built with three or four sections working with multi-tier technology. The three-section units have 12 axles, regenerative brakes and can haul loads up to 59,250 kg. They have an output of 8,040 kW.

The Ukrainian State Railway Administration (Ukrzaliznytsia) has upgraded their VL11 locomotives; starting in 2012, they plan to upgrade 20 a year. The upgrade will extend the operating life of each locomotive by 15 years, and it represents only 28% of the cost of a new electric locomotive.