29/7 Tass 288
MINSK, July 29 (Itar-Tass) —— Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday set the task for the republic to establish the production of rail cars of domestically manufactured components within two years.
“We must manufacture our own rail car. It will be an industrial breakthrough,” he said during the visit to the Osipovichi carriage works.
“We have a large volume of freight to carry by rail, and there is a vast need in the rolling stock. Huge sums of cash are spent on its purchase,” the president said.
He stressed that Russia and Kazakhstan need rail cars. “They have vast spaces. The need in rolling stock is huge, and there will be an acute shortage in five years. And then we can make an offer,” Lukashenko said.
During the visit to the carriage works the president held a conference with the participation of the Russian ZAO Grand Express about setting up a joint venture for contemporary manufacture of rolling stock.
The president pointed out that he had earlier decided on establishing in Belarus contemporary high-capacity enterprises to manufacture freight cars and special purpose cars. “This removed acute transport problems and opened a promising trend of industrial development and increased the export potential by the sale of manufactured rail cars and expanding the services for freight transportation,” Lukashenko said.
He said the initial stage had already been concluded and a contemporary carriage works was operated in Mogilev. The works in Osipovichi is a second such facility to expand production,” the president holds.
The Osipovichi carriage works was founded by the Russian ZAO Grand Express whose share in the fixed assets is 74 percent and the Belarussian Railways that own 26 percent of the shares.