OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2012. Brunswick Rail, one of the leading Russian private freight railcar operating lessors, together with its partners Promtractor-Vagon (part of Tractor Plants Group), Amsted Rail and Brenco, held a training seminar on the servicing of new generation railcars. The seminar is part of a "Controlled Operation" programme to assess new generation 12—1304 gondolas in Russia.

At the event, held at the Inskaya depot in the Novosibirsk region, Brunswick Rail representatives together with engineers and designers from Amsted Rail, Brenco and Promtractor-Vagon spoke about the features and maintenance of the innovative railcars. Amsted Rail designs and produces the model 18—9836 Motion Control System bogies, Brenco designs cassette bearings used in bogie construction, while Promtractor-Vagon constructs the railcars. The audience comprised staff of operating depots and service centres who are directly involved in servicing the first 70 new generation model 12—1304 gondolas, which since 2011 have been undergoing testing as part of a "Controlled Operation" programme by Russian Railways (RZD).

Brunswick Rail Deputy CEO and Director of Business Development Vladimir Khoroshilov said: "Training of depot staff is an essential part of the programme for introducing new generation railcars. This is another step towards ensuring that innovative technologies are seen not as the future of the Russian market but as its present. New generation railcars have been in use in other countries for many years, but in Russia the manufacture of railcars has not changed substantially for decades. We are delighted to be among the first wave of companies to introduce the latest developments into Russia."

Marcus Montenecourt, General Director of Amsted Rail in Russia and the CIS, added: "Amsted Rail has set up a maintenance and repair service with specialists trained in North American maintenance centres. The goal of this service is to train staff of railcar maintenance and operating units in Russia, and to help ensure a smooth transition to new generation railcars with an axle load capacity of up to 25 tonnes."

Deputy CEO of the Tractor Plants Group and Head of the Railway Casting and Railcar Division Albert Kostromin noted: "For Tractor Plants Group the production of new generation railcars is a top priority. We began work on this several years ago, and today we offer customers optimal solutions from the standpoints of price, quality and operating costs. This approach has enabled Tractor Plants Group to become a leading supplier of high-tech freight railcars in Russia."

Brunswick Rail acquired its first 70 new generation 12—1304 gondolas with Motion Control bogies in July 2011. The benefits of the new gondolas include an axle load of up to 25 tonnes, load capacity of up to 75 tonnes and reduced load on the track superstructure.

During their first year of operation on the West-Siberian railway, the gondolas are undergoing a series of rigorous examinations by a commission including RZD, Brunswick Rail, Promtraktor-Vagon, Amsted Rail, VNIIZhT and other suppliers. The examinations are expected to demonstrate the improved operational and service characteristics of the new generation gondolas.