In 2022 VTB Leasing Company plans to purchase railway cars for 15-25 billion rubles

The leasing subsidiary of VTB Company has decided to start operational leasing of railway cars and plans to invest 15-25 billion rubles in 2022 to bring its own railway car fleet to 35,000 units, in view of the railway market growth, as Dmitry Ivanter, head of the VTB Leasing Company, told to reporters.

"We decided to go in for operational leasing in the railway. We have created a separate team, we are especially looking for parks, participating in auctions or agreeing with those who participate, that we will lease (cars) to such companies under the terms of operating leasing", he said.

Now VTB Leasing Company has about 15,000 wagons available for operating lease purposes, and intends to increase this number to 35,000 in 2022, Ivanter said. The company will buy railway cars both available in market and new ones.

"Transportation volume is growing. Railway loading was stagnating for a very long time and now it started to grow, at first it is related to economic growth, and also due to the quite favorable conditions for foreign trade, so trade with China is developing, including railway transit with Europe," he said.

After two years of railway loading decline, the Russian railway monopoly Russian Railways expects traffic to grow by more than 3% in 2021, mainly due to an increase in coal exports, as well as growth of transportations of construction materials and containers, including transit.

For VTB Leasing, the railway segment is the leading one, accounting for more than 40% in the company's portfolio.

"New players appear, for example, the Demetra holding, in which VTB has a stake, they are growing, so it is logical that they are increasing their fleet of specialized railway cars for grain transportations," Ivanter said.

VTB Group controls the grain infrastructural company Demetra-Holding, with incorporated Rustranskom Company, the largest operator of railway cars for grain transportation.
Source: traid24.com
Image source: quote.rbc.ru