Russian Railways have organized the first test shipment of non-ferrous ore in 20’ open op containers of Russian make from the rail station of Minusinsk in Siberia. Until then, only open tops made by foreign manufacturers were used in Russia.
According to Krasnoyarsk Railway, the containers were made in Khakassia and certified for compliance with the existing standards. Using such equipment helps increase the speed of transportation and cut logistics costs for shippers, so they are in a high demand, a spokesperson for the Railway noted.
This was the first time that non-ferrous ore has been shipped in such equipment. Before letting the train consisting of five platforms each carrying two containers to leave, it was double-checked for compliance with the technical requirements for cargo placing and securing.
The capacity of an open top made in Russia is 32 tons of ore concentrate packed in big bags that prevent cargo from dispersion and humidity.
The test train will go to Uzbekistan via the cross-border checkpoint o Lokot. The shipment was organized by Krasnoyarsk Railway in cooperation with Krasprom, a transport and logistics operator. The latter said it is planning to deploy 50 open top units in the near future and to expand its fleet up to 600-700 units next year.