Production of freight cars at “Uralvagonzavod” at the end of 2022, it halved, but in 2023 the decline continued. About this with reference to data from the Rollingstock news agency writes Forbes.
Last year, the company produced 7.2 thousand freight cars, its market share decreased from 21.9 to 14.4 percent. Moreover, in 2021, before the start of hostilities in Ukrainethe plant increased production by 28.4 percent.
The publication cites reorientation towards state defense orders as one of the reasons for the decline. The company often announces the release of the next batch of tanks. In September it resumed production of tanks T-80and in November delivered the first batch of covered wagons for the military.
Managing Partner, Rollingstock Agency Alexander Polikarpov noted that last year the production of railcars in the country as a whole decreased by 20.5 percent, while the market leader United Carriage Company (UWC) reduced production by 53 percent. However, in 2023, the civil railcar industry will Russia overall increased by 26.3 percent in the first nine months, and Uralvagonzavod separately lost another 25 percent in the same period.
Earlier it was reported that in July of this year the fleet of cars in Russia has reached a record 1.3 million units, an increase of 16.9 percent over three years. However, due to the increase in transportation and its distance, the need for new cars is still high.
At the same time, in September, some transportation operators began to stop purchases due to the fact that the cost of new cars had risen sharply and there was no money for them. The main reason for the rise in production prices is said to be increased costs, including due to staff shortages. The largest manufacturers lack up to 15 percent of their employees, and the remaining ones have to raise wages in order to keep them at the enterprise.
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