Australia: The facility in Karratha has begun serial production of four-axle iron ore wagons.
It is stated that the rolling stock with a payload capacity of 118 t will enter service this month. The site, with a staff of 25 people, has also organised the production and repair of axlebox bearings. The wagons are manufactured predominantly from components supplied by the CRRC plant in Qiqihar.
A fleet of 100 such wagons costing around $100.5 mln was ordered by mining company Rio Tinto in 2023. The contract spans six years. The first 40 wagons were assembled at the Forrestfield facility, with the remainder to be manufactured in Karratha. Previously, Gemco Rail received a grant of $4.2 mln from the LMIF investment fund for modernising the Forrestfield plant and creating a new workshop in Karratha.
CRRC itself is currently the main supplier of freight wagons to Australia. Thus, in 2023 it was fulfilling orders for mining companies Fortescue and Roy Hill.
