OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2009. LDz Cargo Ltd. has received first 50 wagons from 400 purchased freight wagons. First were received 80-feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation. With this LDz Cargo Ltd. has successfully started renewal of the rolling stock yard, reported the press-centre of LDz Cargo Ltd.

With the aim to develop and renew the wagon yard of LDz Cargo Ltd., LDz has purchased:

100 – 60 feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation;

200 – 80 feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation;

100 – covered wagons.

The new wagons will improve work efficiency of LDz Cargo Ltd., as well as they would be rented to railway companies from other countries. LDz Cargo Ltd. has already received first 50 wagons; the rest of them will be delivered to Latvia within next months.

In order to satisfy the demand of freight forwarders for certain types of wagons, until now LDz Cargo Ltd. has been forced to use the wagons owned by railway companies of other countries. The use of these wagons created additional costs for LDz Cargo Ltd. The purchase of new wagons will allow LDz Cargo Ltd. to develop its technical provision, as well as to use its wagons widely by offering them to freight forwarders from railway companies of other countries.

The use of its own wagons in transportation is economically more beneficial, because company gains from it the charge for transportation and related additional services in the territory of Latvia, as well as can rent the wagons to railway companies of other countries and receive charges from them for the use of its wagons.

The use of new wagons will improve utilization of the resources of LDz Cargo Ltd., because the costs for exploitation of the new wagons are considerably lower that for the old wagons. Exploitation of all wagons lasts for 32 years; therefore, it can be said that purchase of the wagons is useful long-term investment.

Since the infrastructure of Latvijas dzelzcels is part of 1520 mm gauge area, LDz Cargo Ltd. chose the offer from the wagon producers in Ukraine, which was the most economically beneficial. Considering global recession and economic fall in the CIS countries, the prices for wagons have decreased by 25-30% compared to the prices of 2007/2008. Taking into account the volume of transportation and the fall in prices last year, it was recognized that this is the most suitable time to make long-term investments, ie. to renew the wagon yard.

In production of the new wagons there are used the latest technologies of engineering industry that increase considerably the resistance of construction, which in its turn improves traffic safety. Covered wagons have wider door aisles that allow to use modern loading – unloading technologies and decrease the number of wagon damages.

When doing the planned repairs, new wagons practically do not have damages, which appear due to wagon deterioration. Therefore, the costs for repairs are considerably lower.

Covered wagons – model 11-1807-01, carrying capacity – 66.7 tons, capacity – 158 m3, wagon length – 18.840 m, floor space – 49.3 m2.

Covered wagons are used for transportation of cargos that need protection against the impact of atmosphere. These wagons have larger capacity of superstructure, which allows loading bigger amount of light cargos. As a result it is possible to carry bigger amount of cargos in one train.

60-feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation – model 13-935A-01, carrying capacity – 69 tons, platform length – 19.62 m, platform width – 2.93 m.

60-feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation are universal platforms, because it is possible to transport containers, as well as wheel machines of different types, timber products, tubes and other similar cargos on them. Platforms are equipped with wood-metal floors, special cramps for fastening wheel machines and other cargos, as well as with 24 lugs for fastening containers in different combinations.

80-feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation – model 13-7024, carrying capacity – 71.2 tons, wagon length – 25.62 m.

80-feet platforms for heavy tonnage container transportation are used only for transportation of heavy tonnage containers in different combinations. For instance, it is possible to put two 40-feet containers or four 20-feet containers on it. Other combinations of container loading also are possible, because these platforms are equipped with lugs for fastening containers.

Constructive speed of all mentioned wagons is 120 km/h.