AFRICA: Russian rolling stock manufacturers Tranmsmashholding and United Wagon Co have agreed to work together to supply ‘world class’ wagons and components to customers across Africa.
The agreement announced in December aims to combine UWC’s expertise in the wagon sector with TMH Group’s global reach and regional experience, with UWC being able to subcontract manufacturing to TMH Africa’s Boksburg plant in South Africa under the ‘best available’ terms.
The former DCD Rolling Stock plant at Boksburg was acquired by the TMH Africa joint venture of TMH International (70%) and its black economic empowerment partner Mjisa Investments (30%) in 2018. It now has more than 200 employees, and is TMH Group’s centre of excellence for narrow gauge products.
The agreement with UWC ‘is a big milestone for TMH Africa as it will further support our pursuit to service the African market’, said TMH Africa CEO Jerome Boyet, who said it would result in ‘increased workload, increased export revenues and position South Africa as the rail manufacturing hub for the region’.
‘We believe in Africa as a market within which we can share our experiences for the mutual benefit of all parties’, said UWC Sales Director Ivan Mikhalevich. ‘TMH is the ideal partner to grow our African presence that provides opportunities to optimise deliveries through local assembly and maintenance operations.’
The adoption of ‘world class’ wagons offers the opportunity for freight to be transferred from road to rail, he added.
A similar agreement covering the South American market was signed by TMH and UWC in 2018.
