The Mongolian finance, infrastructure and mining group Bodi International has signed a contract with Russia’s United Wagon Company (UWC), to supply 810 class 12-9853 gondola freight wagons with an axle load of 25 tonnes for the transport of coal between the Tavan Tolgoi coal mines and China.

The first 100 wagons are expected to be delivered this year. 

The wagons have a load capacity of 75 tonnes and a body volume of 92 cubic metres and are equipped with 1520mm-gauge bogies with a 25-tonne axle load. The wagons are designed with a 32-year lifespan.  

UWC successfully outbid six other companies to win the contract. The wagons will be produced at its Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant in Russia. 

The purchase is in response to rising levels of rail freight in Mongolia, which increased by around 7.3% to 27.5 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. The growth was primarily driven by exports to China, with further investments in iron-ore and coal mining in the country expected to create additional increases in demand.