Red Flag 5400-class locomotive


The 5400-series Red Flag-class is a class of universal mainline electric locomotives built by the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works for the Korean State Railway.
In 1981, the Korean State Railway took delivery of seven Francorail-MTE CSE26-21 diesel locomotives from France, followed by five more in 1985. Due to oil shortages in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was decided to develop a new electric locomotive based on these diesels. Like all locomotive development in the DPRK, this work was carried out by the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works in P'yŏngyang.
Apparently intended as a replacement for the Red Flag 1-class locomotives, these locomotives, of which at least 25 have been built, incorporate components copied from the original French parts. Used for mainline passenger and freight service, thesey produce and are painted in the standard light blue over dark green livery, or its newer light green/dark green variant.