Russian Railways will receive budget funding for the purchase of 4,500 general-purpose flatcars in 2023. This type of rolling stock is used for, among other things, the transportation of wheeled and tracked equipment, including military equipment.
Russian Railways will purchase general-purpose flatcars of the model 13-192-01, which have a carrying capacity of 72 tons, the CFTS portal reports, citing the Kommersant publication.
The flatcars are manufactured by the Uralvagonzavod company, which is the sole supplier of tanks to the Russian armed forces.
According to the publication, the commercial segment of the Russian market of general-purpose flatcars suffers periodically because of the use of fleets of this type of rolling stock for the performance of "state tasks," that is, the transportation of military equipment and other cargo used in the war against Ukraine. For example, Russian manufacturers of agricultural machinery experienced a shortage of flatcars for transporting their products from factories on the eve of the crop sowing campaign in spring 2021 because they had been commandeered for the transportation of military equipment.
Russian analysts have confirmed that the main reason for the increase in demand for general-purpose flatcars in Russia is currently the transportation of military equipment.
As reported earlier, rolling stock belonging to private wagon operators in Russia is actively being used for the transportation of military equipment and other military goods. General-purpose flatcars and covered wagons with capacities of up to 120 cubic meters are most often used for special transport operations.
