Kryukiv Wagon to make double-decker passenger railcars

Kryukiv Wagon (KVBZ UK) plans to start batch production of double-decker passenger railcars in 2014, the company’s chairman of the board said yesterday (via Interfax). The first 140-seat prototype will be manufactured for testing in 2013.

Roman Dmytrenko: This new passenger wagon will compete with Skoda’s EJ 675 double-decker trains, two of which (six wagons each) Ukrzaliznytsya acquired last year at EUR 20 mln per unit. The demand for this type of wagon would be substantial as Ukrzaliznytsya has said it is considering buying 300-350 double-decker passenger railcars over the next couple of years for intercity routes. We believe Ukrzaliznytsya will prefer domestic railcars as its recent experience of buying imported rolling stock from Hyundai Rotem was negative. Yet, everything will depend on the quality of Kryukiv’s new railcar.