Cuba's Deputy Minister of Transportation Antonio Puente said that 11 more of the 100 Chinese locomotives set to revamp the country's railway system will be up and running next week, pulling cars loaded with fuel, cement, containers, food and other cargo, reported the Granma newspaper in Cuba.

The new locomotives are the same as the first 12 acquired from China in January 2006; another 40 will arrive in the coming months and the order will be completed in 2009. Twenty-eight Russian locomotives are also expected to arrive this year.

The Cuban government announced last December, the signing of contracts worth over US$2 billion in the transportation sector, for a five year term. China has become the main vehicle supplier to Cuba, sending over Yutong passenger buses and cars, along with the locomotives.

China is Cuba´s second largest trade partner after Venezuela. According to official figures trade with China ascended in 2007 to US$ 2.653 billion, a 17 percent increase over 2006.