Locotrans and United Wagon Company sign contract for box cars
Research and Production Corporation “United Wagon Company” (RPC UWC, the Group or the Company) (MOEX: UWGN), Russia’s largest manufacturer of freight cars1, and railway operator Locotrans have signed a contract for the supply of 50 new generation box cars made by TikhvinSpetsMash, the shipping deadline being 1 August 2020.
Locotrans consistently upgrades its freight car fleet by acquiring new generation rolling stock. Taking into account the earlier shipped box cars and flat cars for timber, the number of Tikhvin-produced cars in Locotrans’ fleet after the new contract is executed will cross the threshold of 600 units.
Alexey Petrov, CEO at Locotrans: “We consistently upgrade the company’s freight car fleet. Given the current trends in the transportation market, we think it expedient to invest in up-to-date rolling stock which will soon be in highest demand in the railway network, no doubt about that. We have been impressed by the performance of Tikhvin-produced railcars purchased earlier. Our clients are interested in this fleet and ready to pay higher rates for carrying their cargoes. It is also our pleasure to work with UWC – a reliable and responsible partner. We intend to continue our cooperation, adding new generation cars to our fleet.”
The 11-6874 box car boasts a most balanced combination of technological and economic performance among similar models available in the market: 73 tonnes of load capacity, 175 m3 of the body space, 25 tf of bogie’s axle load. Such performance characteristics make this car a universal means of carrying both big-size and small-size but heavy cargoes.
The doorway openings of the car body have larger dimensions in comparison with standard analogues, thus facilitating loading and unloading operations. Sliding doors set up in the apertures freely glide on roller supports, whereas the sealed locking mechanism serves as a reliable link. The car’s distinguishing feature is four loading hatches on the roof and side walls of the body, ensuring convenient loading of loose cargoes. The body floor is made of steel checker plates facilitating better traction of the cargo itself with its surface as well as the loader’s wheels in the course of cargo handling operations.
The box car is outfitted with the 18-9855 bogie which is instrumental in extending maintenance intervals up to 1 million km (or 8 years). As of the end of Q1 2020, the maintenance arm of the UWC railway group is represented by a chain of 81 centres and safe storage facilities for spare parts and components at the premises of car-repair depots in the 1520 space. 20 service centres are available for the owners of Tikhvin-produced rolling stock to do all types of routine maintenance and repair works. Current uncoupling repair can be done in any depot within the 1520-mm gauge space with a representative of an authorized centre involved.
1Data sourced from INFOLine-Analytics: https://infoline.spb.ru/news/?news=162724
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