VR FleetCare, Bane NOR, the Norwegian rail infrastructure manager, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish Defence Forces have signed a contract for the design and series production of new heavy transport wagons. The design of the wagon has already started, and production will start during 2025.
This is an important development for Nordic security of supply, as the procurement of the wagons will enable heavy defence equipment to be transported by rail.
VR FleetCare will carry out the project from design to manufacture and delivery. The first phase of the project comprises the design and approval of the wagon type and the series production of ten wagons. The contract includes an option for 110 heavy transport wagons.
The new 6-axle wagon is designed with usability in mind, as well as a long lifecycle and maintenance operation. The wagon series will be manufactured at VR FleetCare’s Pieksämäki workshop, where several wagon series can be produced simultaneously.
In addition to heavy transport wagons, Pieksämäki also manufactures, for example, roundwood wagons and tank wagons. VR FleetCare is also actively developing other wagon products, such as the modular freight wagon, which is suitable for transporting a wide range of materials also with different track gauges.
“The project and the cooperation that are starting are important for Finnish wagon manufacturing, and a great start for the delivery of Finnish freight wagons abroad. VR FleetCare can efficiently produce freight wagons in special series for the demanding needs of different industries. We have the necessary technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities to get production up and running quickly,” Otso Ikonen, VR’s Senior Vice President of Maintenance, said.
Wagons supplied to the defence industry are carefully tailored to the needs and infrastructure of the customer. The design is based on the ability to transport heavy NATO equipment and the suitability for the arctic T2 climate zone, which places special demands on the design and engineering of the wagons, for example due to the accumulation of snow and ice. In the past, there was no heavy-duty wagon approved for Arctic conditions on the market.
“We at VR have long know-how of the Arctic conditions and experience of heavy transport in the North. We are very proud to have been chosen by Bane NOR, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish Defence Forces to supply the wagons. The project and the series production of the wagons will also further improve domestic security of supply, as the product is also practicable for the Finnish rail gauge,” Ikonen explained.
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