United Wagon Company is boosting production of hopper cars for transportation of mineral fertilizers in response to increased market demand

Over the course of 2018–2019, United Wagon Company (UWC) will supply the market with more than 3,000 hopper cars with increased carrying capacity for the transportation of mineral fertilizers. In the first half of this year, it plans to ship 800 of the hopper cars to the companies Acron, PhosAgro and Uralkali.

Buyers of the hopper cars produced by the Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant (part of UWC) have seen their economic efficiency and reliability of construction in practice. The enlarged body space and 25 tf axle load make it possible to increase the carrying capacity of the rail car by 5–6 tons (up to 76.7 tons) for a wide range of mineral fertilizers. Rolling stock operators and shippers both gain an additional economic benefit from using the 19-9835-01 hopper cars due to the increased operational yield and reduced transportation cost per ton of cargo. The overhaul period of the hopper cars produced by Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant is 800,000 km, which is five times greater than the indicator for standard cars.

The cars have a high build quality — the design of hatches ensures efficient loading and unloading, and the internal two-component coating reliably protects the body from the aggressive impact of the load.

According to experts, demand for hopper cars for the transportation of mineral fertilizers is associated with the active growth of the export-oriented cargo base: an average of 4%–6% per year for the last five years. On the RZD railway network, the total fleet of hopper cars for the transportation of mineral fertilizers is 30,000 units, and the average age is 11 years. In 2017, the fleet of hopper cars for the transportation of mineral fertilizers was generally in a balanced state: during periods of seasonal decrease in mineral fertilizer loads, the surplus did not exceed 4% of the fleet.

The Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant has annual production capacities for up to 5,000 hopper cars of any kind — for the transportation of grain and grain products, mineral fertilizers or cement. Due to the technological similarity of hopper cars, the plant's production lines can be quickly reconfigured to produce different types depending on the market situation, and promptly meet demand.