Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant, part of UWC Group, has sent for testing a first batch of Sggrs80 articulated flat cars produced for Deutsche Bahn. The flat cars will be undergoing certification for compliance with the TSI (Technical Specification for Interoperability) until the end of 2019. The cars will undergo stationary testing and trial runs over a period of several months, with a particular focus on longitudinal and vertical stress tests on the frame structure, testing for shock absorption both empty and loaded cars, tests on brake system performance, and safety tests for movement along a winding route, among others.
The Sggrs six-axle container cars have a length of 80 feet, a loading capacity of 108.6 tonnes and the ability to safely transport ISO containers, tank containers and swap bodies with a gross weight of up to 36 tonnes in various size categories. The flat car design is lighter than that of its common counterparts in the European market. The car is equipped with a bogie with an axle load of 22.5 t and is designed for operation on a 1,435-mm gauge track.
“As we are planning to develop our freight shipment division, we will soon need an additional fleet of freight cars and railway engines. Since German manufacturers cannot fully meet our demand for rolling stock, we seek to collaborate with other companies, including Russia’s UWC. The cars (…) will now be able to undergo a full series of tests at our testing facility. We hope the results will meet our expectations,” Uwe Günther, Chief Procurement Officer at DB, said.
In November 2018, UWC won the tender for the supply of 130 Sggrs80 articulated container flat cars which will be delivered by the first half of 2020. Under the contract DB may order another batch of flat cars from UWC.
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