The Soviet-made ET42 (also manufactured as NEWZ 112E) is PKP's (Polish National Railways) most powerful standard gauge electric freight locomotive.

Due to its provenance, it is often referred to by its nickname of Rusek (Polish derogatory word for a native of Russia) or Czapajew (Chapayev) (Russian: Чапаев).

[1] The locomotive's construction is based on that of the Soviet VL10 and VL11 (Russian: ВЛ10 & ВЛ11, respectively) and is characterised by its straightforward design as well as ease of use and reliability.

Yet at the time, Polish State Railways did not have sufficiently strong locomotives in its stock that could handle the increasingly heavy trains on the route.

[3] The ET42's main role is hauling very heavy coal trains (up to 4,000 tonnes) along the routes leading from Silesia to the ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia.