An oil-electricity hybrid locomotive, the most powerful of its kind, was started in an experiment in extreme cold weather in northeast China, said CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd., the manufacturer.

The experiment was conducted in Hulunbuir in the north of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on the morning of January 12 when the local temperature was minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Despite the extreme cold outside, the temperature in the cab was 25 degrees Celsius and the batteries showed a temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, suitable for the operation.

The experiment marked the end of a series of experiments for the hybrid locomotive, said Xiang Jun, chairman of the company based in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

On January 7, the locomotive carried out a successful small operation experiment in environment of minus 30 degrees Celsius in northeast China.

In August 2016, the same locomotive had operated in high temperatures in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Hybrid locomotives are environment friendly, energy-saving and less noisy, according to Xiang. The successful experiments in both extreme cold and hot weather showed the world's largest-power hybrid locomotive can run in environment with different temperatures, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2017)