The new products and innovations in the railway industry contribute to optimising the competitiveness and answer to challenges imposed by the demands on the railway transport market. Despite the recession, the railway market maintains its stability in the next years. At global level, for the past three years, the market has increased by 3.2% each year, a significant development considering the fact that there is a lack of funds since 2008, as a result of the financial crisis. Likewise, according to UNIFE, the estimates regarding the railway industry indicate an average increase amounting to 2.7%. Under the circumstances, a growth of the industry is due to CIS states, Russia and Latin America which register a continuous development in this sector.
Technical innovation plays a very important role in increasing the safety and quality of railway transport services. This year, the railway sector introduces one of the latest technologies and brings new concepts in terms of environment protection, energy-efficient rolling stock, thus boosting railway transport development and promotion”, declared the German Minister of Transport, Peter Ramsauer, during the InnoTrans 2012.
Developing partnerships in the industry represents a key point in launching new railway products, which will determine the transport capacity growth and will make transport efficient. For this purpose, Russian Railways has signed in September at Berlin and agreement on the implementation of new technologies for the manufacture of cars transporting heavy goods. Therefore, RZD together with Freight One and Tatravagonka have concluded the agreement for the development of three-axle bogie for a car with 25 tonne axle load. The agreement stipulates the implementation of research and development works, the pilot bogies manufacturing and testing, obtaining the necessary authorisations and the commissioning of bogies. At the present moment, the cars with 23.5 tonne axle load are used extensively in Russia. Increasing the axle load will allow increasing the transport capacity and a more efficient use of infrastructure.
Likewise, RZD and Tatravagonka will develop and manufacture railway vehicles for the transport of heavy goods, which will have a 450-500-tonne capacity. The two companies have established the next steps aiming at technical and scientific cooperation, the cooperation part being ensured for the purpose of creating development conditions for documents regarding the vehicle design, construction and execution. Within the elaboration of necessary documents, the maximum use of components manufactured in Russia will be established.
Russia does not focus only on the deve-lopment and provision of products at national level and, due to the railway sector growth, Europe is launching new opportunities for Russian manufacturers.
Therefore, in September, UralVagonZavod has announced that it will open a car factory in Jelgava (near Riga, Latvia). “The new factory will have a capacity of 2,500 freight cars per year and we think that the production could start at the beginning of next year”, declared Oleg Siyenko, the general director of the company. UralVagonZavod has not disclosed the amount it plans to invest in this project, but according to the Russian press an investment amounting to approximately EUR 15 Million is needed.
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