Sweden: Heavy-duty wagon builder Kiruna Wagon has signed a contract with local transport operator Kraftdragarna to supply a single Schnabel wagon. Delivery is scheduled for August 2028.
The articulated wagon will feature 32 axles (16 bogies), measure around 74 m in length and offer a payload of up to 490 t. Designed specifically for Sweden’s rail network, the wagon will carry oversized heavy components such as power transformers and other critical energy sector equipment.
“We are dealing with a structure of approximately 74 metres in length with 32 axles, where very high loads must be managed while ensuring the wagon can negotiate curves and operate within a restricted loading gauge. Our role is to optimise the entire load-bearing system—from load distribution and axle loads to dynamic performance in operation—enabling safe, efficient and precise transport execution,” said Anders Viklund, Technical Director at Kiruna Wagon.
Orders for such wagons are rare and bespoke. One of the world’s heaviest payload Schnabel wagons currently operates in the US, built by Kasgro for Westinghouse in 2012. The 36-axle coupled-type unit is used to carry nuclear reactor components, offering over 920 t payload capacity and measuring 70.4 m in length.
