TMH-Built Vehicles Presented In Kazakhstan

On 10 March 2020, at the Tulpar-Talgo works in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, Transmashholding presented its rail vehicles to the top management and technical experts of the national operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and other operators and authorities. The KTZ chairman Sauat Mynbaev and the TMH CEO Kirill Lipa participated in the event.

The line-up consisted of modern single-deck and double-deck passenger carriages, a baggage/mail van, a staff carriage, an Ivolga 2.0 EMU, a Class RA-3 DMU, and a Class TEM28 shunter. The stock was reviewed by representatives of the Technical Regulation and Metrology Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KTM MIIR RK), JSC Passazhirskie perevozki (Passenger Transportation, a KTZ subsidiary), various private operators and service providers.

TMH, KTZ, and other companies in Kazakhstan are partners for many years. In the past, TMH delivered to Kazakhstan the mainline and shunting diesel locomotives, 25 kV 50 Hz EMUs and passenger coaches. For example, on 11 June 2019 Tversky vagonostroitelny zavod signed an agreement with Tulpar-Talgo for a batch of subassemblies for second class 54-berth Model 61-4447.02 „platskartny“ carriages ordered by KTZ. TVZ built 63 carriages without interior, which were sent to the Tulpar-Talgo factory in Nur-Sultan for completion, using subassembly kits provided from Tver. 

TVZ was quick to respond to this order and on 26 June it sent the first 25 unfinished carriages to Astana. The remaining 38 carriages and their subassembly kits followed in September and October. This was the first time that production has been shared between TVZ and Tulpar-Talgo. At present, in a similar manner TVZ is also building a batch of 46 subassemblies, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2020. 

The involvement of Tulpar-Talgo plant resulted from Transmashholding having signed an agreement at InnoTrans 2018 for acquirement a 99.99 % stake in the latter Kazakh concern. The agreement also involved the construction of 1,200 carriages between 2018 and 2026 for KTZ. Under this agreement it was anticipated that in the future TMH will build TVZ-designed carriages (sleeper, staff and restaurant cars) for KTZ.

TMH also holds shares in two Kazakh factories - EKZ for electric locomotives of the Prima family and LKZ for diesel locomotives of the Evolution family.

We asked TMH:

- what was the reason for the exhibition on 10 March?

The company answered us: „For TMH, Kazakhstan has always been and remains a significant market outside the Russian Federation. We are ready to invest in the development of our presence in Kazakhstan all our experience and competencies in order to fully and promptly meet the needs and requirements of Kazakhstan customers. Our strategy in relation to all foreign markets, including the Kazakhstan market, provides for a transition from an export model to an industrial presence and development of the production potential of local partners. TMH already has successful experience in implementing this strategy in relation to production and service sites in Argentina, South Africa and Kazakhstan. We transfer technologies and innovations, train employees, develop local networks of suppliers, thereby forming strong players in the markets of presence.“

The other questions remained unanswered, but using our Kazakh and Russian sources we prepare a separate article about the recent (Tulpar) Talgo developments.

- is KTZ interested for all the vehicle types exhibited?

- will KTZ order some of the vehicle types exhibited?

- as there was no one Talgo carriage exhibited, does it mean that the (Tulpar) Talgo rakes will be not built as a result of the fact that KTZ in October 2019 has cancelled its orders for Talgo coaches announced in 2018?

- when was cancelled the agreement for taking the 99.99% stake in Tulpar-Talgo, announced at Innotrans 2018?

- what contracts are now being realised at Tulpar Talgo factory?

- what contracts are now being realised at LKZ factory?

- will EKZ build electric locomotives for Russia?

We are waiting for reply.