Russia: The national railway company published its 2021 annual report. ROLLINGSTOCK has analyzed its activities in rolling stock procurement and innovations, comparing the results of 2021 with the figures for 2020.
1️⃣ Investment program and state support. In 2021, the investment program of RZD was completed for 703 bln RUR ($9.5 bln USD, -2% by 2020), rolling stock renewal projects accounted for 147.6 bln RUR ($2 bln USD, -3.3%). State support for the company at all levels amounted to 314.5 bln RUR ($4.3 bln USD, +142%).
2️⃣ Locomotives. 535 locomotives were purchased (-5.5% by 2020) for 92.1 bln RUR ($1.25 bln USD, -3%). There were 264 freight electric locomotives, 13 passenger electric locomotives, 258 diesel locomotives. Also 221 locomotives were equipped with the virtual coupler system, a technology of real-time data exchange between locomotives via radio channel that allows shortening the interval between trains from 12 to 6-8 min. Additionally, 3,181 locomotive sections were overhauled. The operating locomotives fleet of RZD at the end of 2021 amounted to 13,292 units (+0.7% by 2020).
3️⃣ Passenger rolling stock. Involving the investments of Federal Passenger Company (FPC, part of RZD), 678 cars were purchased, including 145 cars of Lastochka EMUs, 40 cars of EP3D suburban EMUs, 45 cars of RA-3 DMUs, 436 locomotive-hauled passenger coaches (346 single-deck cars of the 2019A model, 66 double-deck cars of the 2020 model, 24 double-deck cars of the 2018 model, as well as 12 coaches for suburban transportation). In addition, the South Caucasus Railway (part of RZD, operating on the territory of Armenia) received 27 locomotive-hauled passenger coaches and 2 EP2D EMUs. According to the results of the year, the fleet of RZD, FPC and suburban passenger companies has 1,330 locomotives and 19,300 passenger cars.
4️⃣ Lastochka EMUs procurement reduction. In 2021, there was the smallest volume of Lastochka EMUs purchases in 4 years. According to the RZD report, 16.9 bln RUR ($230 mln USD) were allocated for the purchase of the previously mentioned 145 railcars, a year earlier – 20.4 bln RUR ($283 mln USD), by means of which 196 cars were purchased.
4️⃣ Freight cars. The Federal Freight company (part of RZD) purchased 750 flatcars. Also 6,400 gondola cars were bought into ownership under leasing/long-term lease agreements. The total fleet of Federal Freight and RZD at the end of the year is 142,700 freight cars. The RZD Logistics subsidiary has acquired 100 autonomous refrigerated containers as part of the Agroexpress service development.
5️⃣ Alternative fuel. RZD continued to develop technologies for shunting and mainline diesel locomotives modernization for LNG traction. The implementation of the plans should allow to replace the diesel fuel traction with natural gas by 11% by 2024, and up to 25% by 2030.
6️⃣ Innovation. The amount of expenses for the innovative projects implementation, including R&D, within the framework of the Comprehensive Innovative Development Program (CIDP) amounted to 166 bln RUR ($2.3 bln USD, -16% by 2020). In 2021, 142 innovative projects were implemented as part of the CIDP. In particular, a hybrid traffic control system was put into permanent operation at the experimental part of the Moscw Central Circle on the head cars of six Lastochka EMUs.
