The VL11Russian: 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]