United Wagon Company (RPC UWC, PJSC, russian: ПАО «Научно-производственная корпорация «Объединенная Вагонная Компания») is Russia's leading and one of the world's biggest manufacturers of freight cars. The company is on the Russian Ministry for Economic Development list of strategically important organizations.
United Wagon Company operates a railway holding comprising a few enterprises located in Leningrad and Udmurtiya region –
Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant, TikhvinChemMash, TikhvinSpetsMash, NPC "Springs", as well as the transport company UNICON 1520, leasing companies under the RAIL1520 brand and the car-repair enterprise TAP "
Titran-Express".
UWC also oversees its own
research & development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
Center
The company is headquartered in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
.
History
United Wagon Company was established in 2012 to run the activities of
Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant and the leasing company RAIL1520.
The official launch of
Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plan took place in January 2012. In July 2014, the plant produced its 10,000th freight car
The freight car leasing company RAIL 1520 was founded in 2011.
In January 2012, RAIL1520 started a car leasing joint venture with the Japanese
Mitsui – MRC1520. RAIL1520 is in the TOP-10 largest leasing companies of Russia
In September 2013, United Wagon Company and US-based
Wabtec signed a joint venture agreement. Several months prior to that, a similar agreement had been signed with Amsted Rail.
In March 2014, UWC and
Timken Company
The Timken Company is a global manufacturer of bearings and power transmission products. Timken operates from 42 countries.
Company history
In 1898, Henry Timken obtained a patent for an improved tapered roller bearing, and in 1899 incorporat ...
(U.S.) announced a joint venture to manufacture cassette bearings.
In April 2014, United Wagon Company set up its own R&D engineering center.
In June 2014, UWC acquired a 100% stake in NPC "Springs" (Izhevsk, Udmurtiya) producer of transport springs.
In the same month, UWC launched a new transport company named Vostok1520 for heavy haul. In November 2016, United Wagon Company sold a 100% stake in Vostok1520 to First Heavyweight Company.
In 2015, UWC and the global supplier of hi-tech products for railways
Wabtec (USA) signed a contract for the supply of large car casting to the US market.
In December 2015, UWC launched TikhvinChemMash plant to produce tank cars.
In March 2016, United Wagon Company acquired Tikhvin Assembly Plant "
Titran-Express" specialized in maintenance and repair of the rolling stock.
In September 2016, United Wagon Company opened a representative office in the United States Uniwagon North America Corp. (New Jersey).
In October 2016, UWC launched the manufacture of parts made of high-strength isothermally hardened cast iron with the capacity of 30,000 car sets a year.
Late in 2016, the first batch of specialized cars was manufactured at a new plant of the railway holding TikhvinSpetsMash. The facility specializes in the output of various small-scale rolling stock types, including platforms for timber and metal transportation, isothermal cars and dumpcars.
In March 2017, United Wagon Company established UNICON 1520, a transport start-up for container and tank container.
In September 2017, Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant passed the AAR quality certification procedure at the
Association of American Railroads and launched the export shipment of large car casting for North American freight cars.
In August 2018, United Wagon Company won status as supplier to
Deutsche Bahn
The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder.
describes itself as the se ...
(DB), and in November UWC won DB tender for delivery of flat cars.
In March 2019, United Wagon Company and the TEXOL group, one of Kazakhstan's largest railway operators and freight car fleet owners, have signed a contract on the supply of 400 articulated tank cars for the transportation of
liquefied petroleum gas
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas) is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, propylene, butylene, isobutane and n-butane.
LPG is used as a fuel gas in heating appliances, cooking e ...
(LPG).
In December 2019, UWC has released the 100,000th freight car produced since the launch of the Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant in January 2012.
Business activities
The railway holding Research and Production Corporation "United Wagon Company" is engaged in design, manufacturing, leasing and maintenance of freight cars as well as transportation services.
Finances
By the end of 2019, the turnover (earnings) of United Wagon Company amounted to RUB 64,470 billion.
Membership in national and international associations
In 2013,
Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant joined the Union of Car Builders Association, whereas United Wagon Company joined the
Association of American Railroads.
Since 2015, United Wagon Company has been a member of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...
.
Management
Timofey Khryapov is the Chief Executive Officer of Research and Production Corporation "United Wagon Company".
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Rail vehicle manufacturers of Russia
Companies based in Moscow
Russian companies established in 2012
Companies listed on the Moscow Exchange
Russian brands
Freight wagons manufacturers