TikhvinChemMash has delivered new generation tank cars of Tpr dimension to Metafrax
CJSC “TikhvinChemMash” (part of RPC “United Wagon Company”) starts the mass production of new generation tank cars for methanol transportation within Tpr dimension. The first batch of freight cars has already been shipped to PJSC Metafrax, the largest Russian producer of methanol and its derivatives.
Tank car for methanol of model 15-6880-01 is the second model in the product line of the railway holding UWC with increased body space thanks to Tpr dimension. In terms of dimension, its design is similar to the design of tank car for ammonia.
Tank car of Tpr dimension will significantly improve the efficiency of methanol transportation. Payload capacity of the new model is 71.7 t. Tank car tank volume has been increased (compared to a standard freight car) by 8.5 m3 to 94 m3, that provides for the increase by 4.5 t in loading into the car.
Igor Chukreev, Chief of Transport Department of Metafrax, has given his comments: “These are freight cars of the future, to which there are no counterparts neither in Russia nor in the entire post-Soviet space. We will be the first company to load them, dispatch and evaluate, and this work is of great interest to us”.
Alexey Sokolov, First Deputy CEO for Strategy and Product at RPC “United Wagon Company”, noted: “Rolling stock dimensions increase within the current parameters of the railway infrastructure is a logical and effective method to increase volumes of freight traffic. Specialists of RZD have conducted check-studies which have shown that freight cars of Tpr dimension can be operated on public tracks practically without restrictions”.
According to the market experts, there will be a great demand for this type of rolling stock within the next five years: the predicted write-off will amount to 1.4 thousand units, i.e. about a third of the current fleet of methanol tank cars on the network.