UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 1, 2017. A group of Russian Railways delegates came to EVRAZ Holding’s West Siberian Integrated Metallurgical Works (ZSMK) to look at the plant’s rail production facilities and talk about the two companies’ strategic cooperation; this was all part of a two-day New Railway Solutions Conference, the company press service reports.

‘EVRAZ and Russian Railways work together to improve this country’s transport security as well as the quality of railway freight forwarding. ZSMK keeps designing new railway produce based on its key partner’s current needs,’ says EVRAZ ZSMK Managing Director Alexei Yuriev.

EVRAZ and Russian Railways have been gradually building up on the scope of their partnership. This year, the latter intends to buy 60% more long rails than one year earlier. Russian Railways are now relying more heavily on 100-meter rails in order to ensure more safety for rolling stock and to make railway maintenance more efficient. In order to meet its key customer’s requirements, ZSMK keeps investing in production upgrades. The plant is now working to increase its 100-meter rail output by setting up yet another finishing line. This will both double the rail output and allow for the production of new, European-standard rails of varying lengths.