Kazakhstan: The Atyrau Wagon Factory (AWF), part of the TEXOL Group, has manufactured prototype tank wagons models 15-3234 and 15-3237.
The 15-3234, with a tank volume of over 88 m³, is designed for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The 15-3237 features a tank volume exceeding 90 m³, a payload capacity of 70 t, and is intended for petroleum products. Both wagons are fitted with AWF’s own 18-6786 bogies, which have an axle load of 23.5 tf. The wagons were developed by TEXOL’s in-house engineering centre, KazTsTT.
In a similar vein, TEXOL is setting up Kazakhstan’s first production facility for tank shells and heads at AWF, and has ordered specialised manufacturing equipment for the project from the Boldrini division of the Italy’s Faccin Group.
Serial production of the tank wagons and their shells is scheduled to begin in early 2026. TEXOL has previously announced plans to produce up to 300 tank wagons in 2026 and up to 1,000 units in 2027. The company itself will be the main customer for the 15-3234 model, as TEXOL is the largest operator of LPG tank wagons in Central Asia.
Earlier this summer, Kazakhstan’s ZIKSTO plant, part of Railways Systems KZ, unveiled its first domestically manufactured tank wagon, the 15-3214, for petroleum products. It has the same axle load of 23.5 tf but a lower payload capacity of 69 t and a smaller tank volume of 85.5 m³ compared with AWF’s 15-3237. Railways Systems KZ has said that while the tank shell for its first wagon was sourced from a CIS manufacturer, it is also exploring local production of tank shells.
