Russian and Ukrainian Investors to Fight for Belarusian Rail Carriage Building Works

One of the largest engineering companies in Ukraine – Kryukov rail carriage building works – extends cooperation with the major wagon producer in Belarus – Gomel railway carriage repair works. The companies concluded an agreement to manufacture 125 wagons in five years. Cooperation between Kryukov rail carriage building works and Gomel railway carriage repair works began in April when the Ukrainian enterprise started to supply its Belarusian partners with the parts for assembling railway carriages. The first carriage was presented in Gomel on July 29th, 2008.

One of the largest engineering companies in Ukraine – Kryukov rail carriage building works – extends cooperation with the major wagon producer in Belarus – Gomel railway carriage repair works. The companies concluded an agreement to manufacture 125 wagons in five years. Cooperation between Kryukov rail carriage building works and Gomel railway carriage repair works began in April when the Ukrainian enterprise started to supply its Belarusian partners with the parts for assembling railway carriages. The first carriage was presented in Gomel on July 29^th, 2008.

So far Gomel railway carriage repair works has specialized in repairs and re-equipment of wagons and railway carriages. In Soviet times it was reckoned among five largest enterprises in this sector. “Recently we have started to assemble carriages on the basis of the body produced by Tver rail carriage building works,” explained Chief Engineer of Gomel enterprise Zinoviy Figlin. “Rolling stock is out-of-repair and requires replacement that’s why we need a huge amount of components. Tver rail carriage building works can’t cope with such a task, therefore we started to cooperate with Ukraine”.

Privatization of Gomel railway carriage repair works is planned for 2009 and the intention of Kryukov rail carriage building works to take part in its denationalization is quite obvious. The experts believe that besides the above-mentioned enterprise the Ukrainians are also interested in Minsk and Mogilev railway carriage repair works.

It is worth mentioning that some time earlier using the facilities of Osipovichi wagon depot a closed joint-stock company “Osipovichi rail carriage building works” that specializes in wagons and tank-containers was set up with the participation of the Russian company “Grand Express”. By the first half of 2010 the works should turn out 2000 tank-containers and 2500 wagons. Moreover, the works will process about 2000 mineral tankers. It is also planned to manufacture platforms, covered gondola wagons, hopper wagons and tank wagons.

What is more, the Russians make no secret of the fact that they are ready to participate in privatization of other Belarusian rail carriage building enterprises as.