UWC and Laude Smart Intermodal SA develop partnership on 1,435 mm track gauge

Research and production corporation “United Wagon Company” (UWC, the Holding or the Group) (MOEX: UWGN), Russia’s largest manufacturer of freight cars¹, and Polish company Laude Smart Intermodal SA, one of the fastest growing enterprises in the intermodal transport services and logistics sector in Central and Eastern Europe, have signed a contract on the supply of 200 Sgmmns flat cars for the transportation of heavy-duty containers throughout the 1,435-mm track gauge area. The flat cars are expected to be delivered to the Polish railway operator by the end of the first half of 2020.

The flat cars differ from similar cars currently available on the European market in their technical specifications. The car has a reduced tare weight of 15.5 t (compared with 16 t and higher in standard models that are widely available on the market) and a load capacity of 74.5 t, measures 40 feet in length, and is fitted with a bogie with an axle load of 22.5 t. The flat car is equipped with high-strength hinged twist locks to fit and safely transport heavy-duty containers with increased gross weight: two 20-foot containers with a gross weight of 37.25 t each, a single 40-foot standard container with a gross weight of 40 t, or a specialized container with a gross weight of 74.5 t per car.

The flat car was developed at UWC’s engineering centre. The first prototypes will be built at the Tikhvin production site. Starting in February 2020, the cars will undergo a series of certification tests at a European testing facility for compliance with TSI (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) requirements, including strength tests for static load and impact, stationary and mobile brake tests, dynamic strength tests in mobile conditions, and noise impact tests.

Boris Myagkov, Deputy CEO for Commerce and Marketing at UWC, commented: “Developing cooperation with Laude Smart Intermodal SA in the 1,435-mm space is an important step towards the implementation of the Group’s export strategy. More and more major international companies now view UWC as a reliable supplier that is able to develop and put into production various types of railcars, meeting all kinds of international standards and fulfilling client requests.”

Marcin Witzchak, CEO at Laude Smart Intermodal SA, commented on the deal: “Working in a highly competitive transportation market means that we opt for cooperation with trusted suppliers, one of which is United Wagon Company. We were impressed by the scale and technical capacity of the Tikhvin facilities. Not every European producer can boast of such high standards as those set by UWC in terms of technical capabilities, competencies, and performance. Furthermore, the successful experience of operating Tikhvin-produced flat cars in the 1,520-mm space helped in our decision to purchase an additional batch of cars from UWC for the 1,435-mm gauge track. This time we ordered a highly specialized model of the flat car, requiring design solutions that are unusual on the European market. We are doing everything we can to become the market leader by sales of logistics services in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Earlier this year, United Wagon Company delivered 400 40-foot container flat cars with an axle load of 25 t to Laude Smart Intermodal SA for the transportation of heavy-duty containers weighing up to 40 t throughout the 1,520-mm space.

¹Data sourced from INFOLine-Analytics: https://infoline.spb.ru/news/?news=162724