Russia’s locomotive maintenance sector is moving towards a more integrated digital engineering system as Lokotech begins transferring its design and technological production preparation processes to Transmashholding’s Unified Engineering Platform (EIP TMH), also known as IPS. The objective of the initiative is to standardize maintenance procedures, improve resource planning, and create a unified digital engineering environment across Lokotech-Service facilities.
This undertaking further advances Transmashholding’s comprehensive digital transformation initiative. The new system is intended to integrate engineering documentation, repair procedures, workforce requirements, materials planning, and equipment management into a connected production environment, rather than merely replacing paper-based maintenance documentation with electronic files.
A Digital Engineering Platform that Is Unified
The Unified Engineering Platform, or EIP TMH (IPS), is a digital engineering environment that was created to facilitate the technological preparation of production. It has already been implemented at numerous Transmashholding manufacturing facilities, where it integrates locomotive manufacturers’ engineering documentation with the necessary information for production and servicing.
The platform offers access to operational data and technical documentation, such as the resources required to execute specific operations, the intensity of labor, and the material requirements. Its application in locomotive maintenance is particularly important because repair facilities must work with different locomotive families, configurations, and maintenance requirements.
The transition of Lokotech is identical to that of Zheldorremmash, another organization within the Transmashholding locomotive division. The platform has already been employed by Zheldorremmash to develop technological processes for its locomotive repair plants. This expansion to Lokotech is designed to establish a more integrated engineering information environment for the two major service organizations.
Transmashholding asserts that the integration of engineering preparation throughout the locomotive division is a component of a more extensive initiative to establish a shared information space that connects manufacturing and service operations.
Initial Implementation Covers Four Locomotive Series
The first phase of the project concentrates on four locomotive variants: the 2ES5K, 3ES5K, and 4ES5K Yermak electric locomotives, as well as the 2TE25KM diesel locomotive.
These locomotives are operational on various segments of the Russian railway network and necessitate maintenance procedures that are customized to their unique designs and operating conditions. Lokotech will be able to test the platform across various locomotive maintenance requirements before expanding its application by establishing digital technological processes for these series.
The company has established a specialized division to supervise the configuration and adaptation of IPS for Lokotech-Service. It is responsible for the development of approval procedures, the adaptation of business processes to the unique needs of individual service facilities, and the training of employees.
Approximately 200 employees have already completed their training. This is a critical component of the implementation process, as the platform is designed to revolutionize the manner in which maintenance personnel, engineers, and production planners prepare and document repair operations.
Lokotech-Service maintains an extensive geographic presence. The company specifies that its production infrastructure comprises 88 service locomotive depots dispersed throughout Russia. The broader implementation initiative also entails the configuration of processes at approximately 230 service locations and facilities.
Moving Beyond Paper-Based Repair Procedures
One of the most significant changes introduced by IPS concerns the structure of technological processes.
Under traditional paper-based documentation, the repair of a particular locomotive component could be described as a single consolidated process. This method offers instructions, but it may not provide a comprehensive breakdown of the resources and individual operations.
IPS divides these processes into different technological phases, which include disassembly, assembly, repair, and testing. The calculations that follow each operation comprise the resources necessary to complete the task.
Labor requirements, material consumption, personnel, tools, specialized equipment, and other parameters that must be monitored during maintenance are all included in these calculations.
The purpose of this level of decomposition is to provide production managers with a clearer grasp of the actual requirements for individual repair operations. The execution of similar maintenance activities across various facilities is also compared on a common basis.
The difference is crucial for a company that operates multiple depots, each of which has unique production capabilities and local operating conditions. Standardized digital processes can assist in the reduction of discrepancies in the planning and execution of identical maintenance operations.
The platform will also facilitate the generation of resource specifications for the purpose of ordering technical supplies and materials. It is capable of automatically generating standard operating cards and maintenance checklists, as well as reports on the tools and equipment necessary for specific operations.
Another important capability is version control. Technologists can access both previous and updated versions of individual processes and confirm the validity of the documentation currently in use. This is especially pertinent when locomotive designs, maintenance requirements, or approved components undergo modifications.
Integration With ERP and the Wider Transmashholding Digital System
The purpose of the introduction of IPS is not to establish an isolated engineering database. The integration of this system with other corporate information systems is a critical component of the overall project.
Transmashholding engaged in a conversation in July 2026 regarding the integration of IPS with Lokotech-Service’s automated Network Schedule management system and 1C ERP accounting system. The objective is to facilitate the flow of engineering and technological information into operational and resource-planning systems.
The scope of this initiative is huge. The locomotive division of Transmashholding is accountable for the manufacturing and maintenance of approximately 70% of the propulsion fleet of Russian Railways. The division was in the process of maintaining 22,705 locomotive sections and working with over 25,000 unique material and supply items as of the July 2026 disclosure.
Part of a Broader Locomotive Digitalisation Programme
The IPS implementation is part of a broader digitalization strategy at Lokotech and Transmashholding. The goal is to improve the coordination of locomotive manufacturing, maintenance, diagnostics, and operational management.
The expansion of predictive maintenance technologies is another development within this program. Transmashholding has been creating systems to evaluate the remaining service life of critical locomotive components by using operational data, engineering calculations, and diagnostic information.
For instance, the remaining service life of critical components on 2ES5K and 3ES5K Yermak locomotives has been determined using a system that was devised by Transmashholding’s Center for Advanced Technologies and implemented at the Kandalaksha service depot.
The system is capable of evaluating the condition of ten critical assemblies, such as wheelset flanges, axle-box bearings, and traction gearboxes, and it includes 25 wear-calculation algorithms for various locomotive components. The wear assessment algorithm used for traction motor brushes has been reported by the company to have an accuracy of more than 90%.
Further Expansion Will Be Determined by the Pilot Project
The current IPS pilot is expected to continue over the coming months. Its outcomes will dictate the order in which additional locomotive series are transferred to the platform.
It is anticipated that the expansion will include locomotives from previous generations that are still in operation and require maintenance at Lokotech’s facilities. This is of particular significance due to the company’s diverse fleet of locomotives, which have varying designs, technical histories, and maintenance requirements.
Throughout the transition, paper-based technological processes will continue to function alongside the new digital system. This parallel arrangement will enable maintenance facilities to continue their operations without interruption as employees become acquainted with the new procedures.