RUSSIA: A 10-year agreement for United Wagon Co to supply Wabtec Corp with castings for the US wagon market was signed at the Expo 1520 trade fair in Shcherbinka on September 2.
Wabtec Corp is to provide design documentation and a manufacturing license enabling UWC’s Tikhvin plant to supply side frame and bolster castings for Barber S2HD bogies. Specimen castings would be sent to the USA for static and dynamic testing, and the Association of American Railroads is to audit the Tikhvin plant.
The agreement is intended to help Wabtec diversify its casting suppliers, while UWC will be able to exploit the full capacity of the Tikhvin foundry and ‘confirm the competitive strength of its production in the world market’.
The companies envisage that their co-operation could be extended to cover the production of more high-tech components for rolling stock.
