Brunswick Rail’s state-of-the-art railcars pass first inspection
Brunswick Rail, one of the leading Russian private freight railcar operating lessors, announced on August 16, 2012 the results of the first commissioning inspection of its new-generation 12-1304 railcars built by Promtractor-Vagon and equipped with Amsted Rail’s Motion Control System bogies. The first months of operation have confirmed the suitability of these innovative railcars for Russia’s railways, the Company press release said.
An inspection of the new-generation railcars was carried out in June 2012 at Novokuznetsk-Vostochny station on the West Siberian Railways as part of a controlled operation programme. On average, the railcars had covered 24 thousand km by the time of the inspection. A commission including representatives of Russian Railways, Brunswick Rail, Amsted Rail, Promtractor-Vagon, Railcar-Building Engineering Centre and other suppliers found no substantial defects and recommended that the controlled operation programme be continued. It also recommended that the railcars be transferred to a longer route, with reserves of spare parts created along the new test route and training provided for staff of maintenance depots. The next inspection should be carried out after 75 thousand km, the commission recommended.
Brunswick Rail acquired its first 70 new generation 12-1304 gondolas with Motion Control bogies in 2011. The benefits of the new gondolas include an axle load of up to 25 tonnes, load capacity of up to 75 tonnes and reduced load on the track superstructure. The railcars were leased by TalTEK Trans, a coal transportation company.
Brunswick Rail Managing Director of Business Development Vladimir Khoroshilov, said: “The commission’s findings confirm the reliability of the new-generation railcars and the great opportunities for them to operate in Russia. We firmly believe that critical issues on the nation’s railways can only be resolved by introducing the latest technology. This conviction is shared by our clients, whose interest in these innovative railcars has noticeably increased."
Igor Kharybin, head specialist of the Technical Policy Department at Russian Railways and chairman of the railcar inspection commission, said: “It is very important that the railcars were operational on the West Siberian Railways during the winter with no serious problems. Following an inspection of 70 railcars, we have recommended further operational testing and the transfer of the railcars to a longer route. This is undoubtedly the first controlled operation of an adapted version of the North American Motion Control railcars, and has also helped to identify teething problems in the zone of contact between the body and the bogie. The railcar developer is continuing to work on finding an optimal solution for the operating conditions on Russia's railroads."
Marcus Montenecourt, General Director of Amsted Rail in Russia and the CIS, added: “I am extremely satisfied that the commission's inspection of 70 railcars found no major causes for delaying further operation. There was not a single instance of uncoupling during six months of operation of these 18-9836 Motion Control railcars. It is particularly gratifying to be able to note the reliability of the cluster bearings produced by Brenco of Saratov. I would also like to note that the best North American solutions and railcar construction experience used in the Motion Contol System bogies adapted for Russian conditions have confirmed their operational efficiency.”
Albert Kostromin, Deputy CEO of the Tractor Plants Group (the management company of Promtractor-Vagon) and Head of the company’s Railway Casting and Railcar Division, said: “Promtractor-Vagon’s new model railcars are the best solution for freight transport available today. Under standard operating conditions they can run for longer distances between repairs, producing immediate cost benefits for the owner. Their reduced impact on the rails is positive for both the railway and for other carriers.”
Sergey Moiseev, General Director of TalTEK Trans, said: “No operational problems arose during the testing period, either for us or for any of the freight shippers and consignees. The railcars regularly ran with maximum loads — a minimum additional 5 tons in almost every car. Over more than six months’ operation, these new generation railcars have justified the high-tech solutions cleverly incorporated in their design and their quality of use. The railcars have not required any running repairs, which can only be a plus for our clients, and therefore for us."
About Brunswick Rail
Brunswick Rail is one of the leading Russian railcar operating lessors, according to INFOLine estimates, with a fleet of over 22,000 modern railcars. Independence, a strong strategic track record and in-depth market knowledge have allowed Brunswick Rail to earn its position as a reliable partner for many of Russia’s blue-chip industrial and transportation companies. The majority of Brunswick Rail’s railcars are gondolas (71%) and mineral hoppers (15%), with box cars, universal platforms and tank cars making up the remainder (14%). The Company’s shareholders are its management (24.9%), Macquarie Renaissance Infrastructure Fund (15.4%), the IFC (13.4%), Sumitomo Corporation (9.3%), VTB Capital (7.1%), UFG (5.7%) and other investors and management (24,2%).
About Tractor Plants Group
Tractor Plants Group-manages the Machinery & Industrial Group N.V., which is one of the largest integrators of Russian scientific-technology, industrial-technology and financial resources in the engineering industry in Russia and abroad. The Group has holdings in more than 20 major companies located in Russian regions, as well as, in Denmark, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Serbia and Ukraine.
The main production operations are represented in five areas: industrial machinery, railway engineering, agricultural machinery, special machinery, spare parts and OEM parts. Operations of the holding are in top positions in the market segments where their products are represented: mining, road and infrastructure construction, oil and gas, transportation and defence industries and agriculture. Technology produced by enterprises of the Machinery & Industry Group N.V., operate in more than 40 countries.
About Amsted Rail
Amsted Rail is a railway supply holding company comprised of manufacturers of industrial components and equipment for rolling stock, mainly for freight cars and locomotives. Amsted Rail incorporates foundries manufacturing not only large castings (bolsters and side frames), but also all other necessary components for freight railway bogies, including Brenco TBU bearings, Griffin cast wheels, draft gears, standard and articulated couplers, operating condition monitoring detectors for railcars, and many others. Amsted Rail’s licensees for Motion Control freight bogie technology in Russia and the CIS are Promtraktor-Wagon, Altaiwagon, and Kryukovsky Wagon Building Works. We are happy to work with companies in Russia and the CIS to introduce this innovative technology to their respective markets.
About TalTEK Trans
TalTEK Trans—a dynamically, developing company established in 2010, manages a fleet of gondolas that number more than 4,000 units and specializes in coal and steel exports for leading Russian industrial holdings.