2025
RM Rail Hosts 81st Meeting of CIS Wagon Industry Commission
Participants come from 13 countries, including the Baltic States and Georgia
RM Rail, a leading Russian manufacturer of freight rolling stock, is hosting a regular meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council's Wagon Industry Commission. Participants come from 13 countries, including the Baltic States and Georgia. The event will run from September 16th to 18th.
Evgeny Shevtsov, Deputy Managing Director of Russian Railways JSC and Head of the Central Infrastructure Directorate, greeted the participants via video conference. The Commission’s work is chaired by Roman Khoikhin, Head of the Wagon Industry Management Department of the Central Infrastructure Directorate, a branch of Russian Railways JSC. The agenda covers 44 items focused on key aspects of the production, operation, repair, and modernization of the CIS freight car fleet, as well as measures to improve product and service quality.
On the first day, discussions centered on the size and condition of the rolling stock fleet. Experts reported that as of the end of the first half of 2025, the fleet stood at 1,780,907 units, up 1.9% compared to the previous year. A total of 35,877 new freight cars were registered, while 14,748 were retired.
Roman Khoikhin, Head of the Wagon Industry Management Department of the Central Infrastructure Directorate, a branch of Russian Railways JSC:
"At today’s meeting, we will make a number of important decisions shaping the operation, production, repair, and modernization of freight rail transport across the CIS. This is especially relevant for new types of rail cars, such as isothermal ones. Other strategically important topics include boosting the carrying capacity of the railroad network, developing the T dimension for freight cars, and digitizing the rolling stock. I want to stress that this is not a distant prospect—we are already working actively on creating a digital rail car passport. It is noteworthy that RM Rail, a company with substantial advancements in all these fields, was selected as the venue for these discussions."
Maksim Tevs, CEO of RM Rail:
"It is a great honor for us to host an international event bringing together representatives of railway administrations, infrastructure owners, major operators, research institutes, and freight car manufacturers from across the CIS. At RM Rail, we are consistently developing modern, efficient freight cars that meet the needs of both our customers and the industry as a whole. When it comes to innovation, we must look beyond cost efficiency—a 25 TF load is no longer an innovation, but a standard. It is time to take the next step and update the requirements for innovative freight cars. They should offer improved consumer value and be built with fundamentally new technologies. I am confident that this event will become an excellent platform for collaboration and for developing effective joint measures to address the systemic challenges facing the industry today. The decisions made here will provide powerful momentum for future growth."