Polish operator Laude Smart Intermodal SA orders additional batch of Tikhvin-produced cars

Laude Smart Intermodal SA, one of the fastest-growing companies in the intermodal transportation services and logistics sector in Central and Eastern Europe, has signed a new contract with “Research and production corporation “United Wagon Company” (UWC or the Company) (MOEX: UWGN), the largest producer of freight cars in Russia¹, on the supply of 200 flat cars on 25 t axle load bogies for the transportation of heavy-duty containers along the Russia–Poland transport corridor.

The batch of model 13-6851-01 flat cars is set to be delivered by the end of May 2020. Following the latest agreement, the number of contracted Tikhvin-produced cars in the Laude Smart Intermodal SA fleet will rise to 841 units, 641 of which are model 13-6851-01 flat cars for use in the 1,520-mm track gauge space, with 200 Sgmmns flat cars for the 1,435-mm track gauge.

The model 13-6851-01 flat car, measuring 40 feet in length, is designed for the transportation of heavy-duty containers and tank containers carrying non-hazardous freight with a gross weight of up to 40 tonnes in the following size categories: 1ЕЕЕ, 1ЕЕ, 1ААА, 1АА, 1А, 1АХ, 1ВВВ, 1ВВ, 1В, 1ВХ, 1СС, 1С and 1СХ. The flat car is noted for its increased loading capacity of 80 tonnes and its maximum tare weight of 20 tonnes. The reinforced design of the frame and the container locks allow for the transportation of containers with a gross weight of up to 40 tonnes, providing an additional competitive advantage over its widely-used market competitors.

The model 13-6851-01 flat car has a service life of 40 years. The increased operational reliability of the rolling stock, ensured partly thanks to the fact that the cars are equipped with model 18-9855 bogies with a 25 t axle load, has made it possible to increase the maintenance interval up to 1 million km (or eight years), reducing operational costs over the car’s life-cycle almost threefold.

Marcin Witzchak, CEO at Laude Smart Intermodal SA: “We have been transporting freight using Tikhvin-produced cars since 2018. We were already aware of UWC as a car manufacturer with a serious portfolio of cars and high-quality production standards at the time. Our experience of operating Tikhvin-produced cars confirms UWC’s status as a leader in Russian car manufacturing. Furthermore, we have recently signed a contract on the supply of cars for the 1,435-mm track gauge, and are now in the process of signing a contract on an additional batch of cars for the 1,520-mm track gauge. I am certain that our market position depends on choosing the right supplier for our cars. The operational reliability and improved technical specifications of the UWC cars give us significant advantages over our competitors.”

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