PKP Cargo has signed an agreement with Poland’s National Research and Development Centre (NRDC) to jointly invest PKN 30 million in developing Poland’s rail freight transport sector.
The scheme, which will invite proposals from both academic and industrial partners, will look at developing new technologies and systems that will reduce the company’s operating costs.
Professor Christopher Kurzydłowski, director of NRDC, Adam Purwin, chief executive of PKP Cargo, and Wojciech Derda, chief operating officer of PKP Cargo, added their signatures to the deal on August 18.
PKP Cargo believes the partnership will also support its plans to begin producing freight cars in house from 2016.
PKP Cargo, Poland’s largest freight operator, has a fleet of more than 2,000 locomotives and 60,000 freight cars. Derda said that even a small reduction in the operator’s energy consumption would result in significant savings.
“We are confident that our investment in R&D can quickly pay for itself,” added Derda.
