Railway Gazette

United Wagon Co announced plans to develop a 3bn rouble tank wagon manufacturing facility at its Tikhvin site on May 19. Production is scheduled to begin in 2015, with an annual capacity of 3 000 chemical, LPG and petroleum wagons.

The wagons are to be designed by UWC’s Centre for Transportation Technologies. As well as traditional designs, the plant is to produce wagons ‘with improved technical and economic parameters’, including 25 tonne axleloads, a maximum payload of 74 tonnes, higher tank volumes, easier maintenance and longer design lives.

‘We expect steady demand for tank cars, especially for limited-series special railcars’, said UWC Chief Executive Roman Savushkin, adding that tank cars are the second largest sector of the wagon market, after open wagons.