OREANDA-NEWS. On May 05, 2008 Russian Railways began accepting applications to participate in tenders for the sale of movable and immovable property of 22 wagon repair and maintenance depots, reported the press-centre of Russian Railways.

The sale of the Company’s wagon repair and maintenance capacity is in accordance Russian Government Decree No. 348 on March 20, 2008 and an order of Russian Railways dated March 28, 2008.

For convenience in conducting the bidding, the Company has divided the repair and maintenance depots into 5 groups consisting of 4-5 lots. One lot includes the property of one depot. Bidding will be held on 6, 11, 18 and 25 June and 2 July 2008 and is being organised by the specialised State Unitary Enterprise for the Sale of Moscow Property (SSGUP).

The sites of the Department of Asset Management at Russian Railways (www.property.rzd.ru under Torgi (Bids)) and of SSGUP (www.mossgup.ru) provide detailed information on how to participate in the competition, as well as a list of property and the amount of depot repairs to be carried out by the purchaser of the property and the number of employees at the depots.

Winners will be required to fulfil certain conditions, in particular, they must continue to operate the property for its purpose by continuing to carry out wagon repair and maintenance at the depots and providing employment to the current employees at the depots by retaining or improving the conditions of existing employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements of Russian Railways.

Potential purchasers are invited to view the depots.

Russian Railways expects the sale of the wagon repair and maintenance depots to generate at least 2,6 billion roubles.

One of the objectives of Phase 3 of the reform of the railway industry is to develop competition in the sector and to provide for the repair and maintenance of cargo rolling stock.

Russian Railways is therefore implementing the reform of the wagon repair and maintenance complex.

The wagon repair and maintenance depots now up for sale repaired 18,540 wagons belonging to Russian Railways and 20,841 private wagons in 2007.