The Ukrainian Railways public joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) is seeking to increase the speed of trains on the existing railway infrastructure in Ukraine by using lightweight railcars. It has already held negotiations on this issue with Talgo, a Spanish rolling stock manufacturer.
This was announced by Ukrzaliznytsia’s acting Board Chairman Yevhen Kravtsov, the CFTS portal reports.
"We are studying the possibility of increasing the speed and reducing the travel time of passenger trains on the existing infrastructure, particularly by using the so-called ‘lightweight’ technology. We have held negotiations with Spanish-based Talgo. We are waiting for recommendations based on modeling," Kravtsov said.
He did not disclose details of implementation of this technology.
A Talgo plant for production of wide-bodyshell railcars was built in Kazakhstan in 2011. These railcars can be used on the entire "1520 space." Among other technological features, the railcars produced here have lightweight bodies.
According to Talgo, the company currently produces the lightest wagons in the world by using an extruded aluminum structure for its trains. The trains are typically 30% lighter than conventional vehicles, while these materials also ensure maximum safety and minimal resistance even when operating at 180-220 km/h.
