Freight One to boosts efficiency of rolling stock in Latvia with LDz memorandum
RIGA. Aug 24 (Interfax/BNS) - Freight One , which is part of Vladimir Lisin's UCL Group, has signed a memorandum on cooperation with Latvian Railways (Latvijas Dzelzcels, or LDz) in a bid to improve the quality of rail freight services and make better use of rolling stock.
Freight One's executive director Alexander Sapronov and the president of LDz, Edvins Berzins signed the memorandum in Moscow on Tuesday and agreed to develop transportation and logistics cooperation.
The documents calls for cooperation on improving the quality of shipments, increasing the efficiency of the use of Freight One rolling stock, including by reducing empty runs and idle time, as well as assistance in implementing a customer-focused policy in railway transport.
Freight One and LDz plan to cooperate on the introduction of new technologies in the operation and loading of railcars in order to increase shipping volumes.
The companies have also agreed to consult one another in the development of practical approaches to the number and characteristics of rolling stock and possible access to infrastructure and information resources.
They also discussed a number of day-to-day and strategic issues concerning cooperation between the two companies.
"The memorandum will strengthen Freight One's foothold in the Baltic region, bringing in higher volumes and a better quality of services for consignors [in Russia], CIS countries and Europe," Freight One quoted its CEO as saying in a press release.
Freight One signed a similar memorandum with Lithuanian railways in 2015.
Freight One, Russia's largest railway freight operator, also operates in CIS countries and has a joint venture with Finland's railways. Freight One is part of UCL Rail, the railway division of Vladimir Lisin's Universal Cargo Logistics Holding (UCL Holding). The group owns about 170,000 rail cars, mainly gondolas, and also includes stevedoring companies in northwestern and southern Russia and major Russian shipping companies.
State-owned Latvijas Dzelzcels carries rail freight and maintains railway infrastructure. Latvijas Dzelzcels includes LatRailNet, LDz Cargo, LDz Infrastruktura, LDz Ritosa sastava serviss and LDz Apsardze.