UWC will supply Kronospan with 500 freight cars of different types

Kronospan, the world leader in wood-based panels production, and United Wagon Company ("RPC UWC", "Holding" or "Company"), Russia’s largest manufacturer of freight cars^[1], signed a contract to supply 500 new generation railcars. Till the end of the current year, 350 flatcars of model 13-6895 for timber, 100 box cars of model 11-6874 and 50 gondola cars of model 12-6995 for woodchip transportation will be sent to the woodworking enterprise.

New generation gondola car of 12-6995 model for woodchips transportation is characterized by higher load capacity (70 t) and increased body volume (211 m³), which allows loading almost 15 t more cargo than in standard analog.  With a length of 23.8 m, the woodchip carrier passes smoothly along straight and curved sections of the track, including small radiuses. The freight car is designed with sweeping hatches-doors for convenient and effective cleaning of the body from the remains of woodchips after unloading and stairs located on the end walls for safe access to its body.

The box car of model 11-6874 is characterized by a load capacity of 73 t and body volume of 175 m³, which allows transporting a wide range of cargoes requiring shelter from atmospheric precipitations. The applied ergonomic solutions in the freight car design, which include, in particular, grooved floor, loading hatches on the roof and sidewalls of the body, binding loops, enlarged door opening, etc., increase the convenience and reliability of its operation.

Flat car for timber transportation of model 13-6895 is characterized by higher load capacity (72.5 t) and increased loading volume (158 m³). The loading length of the platform (18.85 m) makes it possible to transport three timber stacks of six meters each within the short wheelbase tariff. Due to such technical parameters of the Tikhvin platform, it is possible to load almost 40% more cargo than in the typical rolling stock without using "idle" volume.

Kronospan operates 40- and 60-foot timber platforms, 80-foot fitting platforms, and woodchip carriers manufactured in Tikhvin. As a result of the deal and considering previous deliveries, the fleet of OWC-built cars owned by Kronospan will exceed 1.5 thousand units. All Tikhvin railcars purchased by Kronospan are equipped with bogies of the innovative 18-9855 model, which significantly increases the operational reliability of the railcars and extends the run between overhauls (up to 1 million km or 8 years).

Ardasher Kurbansho, CEO of Kronospan Gmh Managing Company: "In developing our railcar fleet, we are guided primarily by the idea of high efficiency and reliability of rolling stock operation. Tikhvin freight cars do not fail us, and we ship orders to customers on time. We have been working with UWC for several years and hope to continue our cooperation.”

¹As reported by INFOLine-Analytics: https://infoline.spb.ru/news/index.php?news=205975