AZERBAIJAN: Russia’s United Wagon Co has entered Azerbaijan’s railway market with two orders for its Tikhvin plant to supply 25 tonne axleload wagons.
Soyuzkontakt-Trans has ordered 40 grain hoppers for delivery by the end of Q2 2020. These have a capacity of 120 m3 or 76 tonnes, up to 6 tonnes more than older designs. Along with longer maintenance intervals, this will allow the operator to reduce the size of its fleet without reducing overall capacity. The wagons have five loading hatches, reducing loading times whilst ensuring an even distribution of the grain.
‘Turnover from the import and transit of grain throughout Azerbaijan is increasing rapidly’, said Soyuzkontakt-Trans CEO Ilyas Safarov. ‘Our company is keeping abreast of this and striving to be at the centre of a new trend for the increased rail transport of grain. Based on the recommendation of our Russian partner Sim-Trans Group, we have purchased a batch of Tikhvin-produced cars running on 25-tonne axleload bogies, which can help us to take up leading positions in a competitive market.’
Meanwhile, ATU TRANS has ordered 18 flat wagons for timber traffic for delivery in Q2, as well as five vans to arrive by the end of Q3.
The Type 13-6895 flat wagons with a capacity of 72·5 tonnes and a loading length of 18 850 mm can carry up to 40% more than standard models while remaining eligible for the short wheelbase tariff. The uniform-section side beams reduce unused space when transporting packaged loads and protect against damage during loading and unloading.
The Type 11-6874 vans have a capacity of 175 m3 or 73 tonnes, which 5 tonnes more than older designs. There are top and side loading hatches for loading bulk freight.
‘Wagons with 25 tonne axleload bogies appeared in the 1 520 mm gauge region several years ago’, said ATU TRANS CEO Rafig Shikhamirov. ‘We will soon see all the benefits of operating these new-generation cars in Azerbaijan’.
