 The principal designer was V. Khlebnikov; the locomotive utilised an 8-axle articulated design within a single locomotive body, two sets of main bogies each of four axles articulated in a Bo-Bo arrangement.Unit TEP80-0002 holds the world speed record for a diesel railed vehicle having reached on 5 October 1993.In 2007 the machine was transferred from the Russian Railway research institute (VNIIZhT) to the October railway museum (Музей Октябрьской железной дороги) in Saint Petersburg.