UWC develops its partnership with Sberbank Leasing

PJSC “Research and Production Corporation “United Wagon Company” (“RPC UWC”, or “Company”) (MOEX: UWGN), the market leader in innovative railcar building in the 1,520 mm gauge area, has signed an agreement with Sberbank Leasing to deliver 100 new generation hopper cars to carry grain and milling products.

A batch of 100 railcars has already been produced to ship to Sberbank Leasing. With an increased axial load and a larger body volume of 120 m³ (which is 26 m³ more than in standard grain cars), the new generation hopper car can efficiently transport a wide range of lightweight grain cargoes up to a full load capacity of 76.5 tonnes. The new generation hopper car also outstrips its rivals for durability: it can work 800,000 km or eight years between depot repairs, compared with 350,000 km or four years for equivalent wagons.

Five loading hatches on the roof of the hopper ensure the cargo is evenly distributed, while rubber seals protect against any damage caused by rain or snow. These hatches are fitted with two highly-effective locking devices, rather than the four used on similar wagons. This reduces costs and saves time when loading and unloading the wagons. The customer can request a modified design with four hatches if desired. Each hopper car is fully compatible with all rail infrastructure, and can be operated at any kind of shipment terminals.

Margarita Krivichkova, Director of Sberbank Leasing’s Railway and Realty Branch, said: “Today we are witnessing a renaissance in the rail-freight market, first of all thanks to commodity export freights, and increased rates for gondolas thanks to rolling stock deficit reduction. New generation railcar production is on the rise. And it is clear that the United Wagon Company, particularly its Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant (TVSZ), is a market leader in terms of its high volume and level of production and its impressive price-quality ratio. Therefore, we see our partnership with UWC as a long-term commitment that we wish to develop.”

Dmitry Bovykin, First Deputy CEO for General Management at the United Wagon Company, said: “This year, our holding and the Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant are five years old. And, to mark this anniversary, we are summing up our progress to date. We see active growth in demand for modern, efficient, new generation rolling stock. Our partnership with Sberbank Leasing is further confirmation of this.”