ITALY: The first vehicles have rolled out at the Innoway Trieste wagon plant, which is being developed at a former Wärtsilä ship engine factory by a joint venture of Austrian freight technology company Innofreight and shipping line MSC.
More than 300 guests attended the symbolic handover of the first two 80 ft InnoWaggons to Yellow2Rail and Papierholz Austria on July 2.
The site is initially assembling wagons from prefabricated components. Further manufacturing processes from welding and painting to final assembly are to be integrated as production ramps up. By 2027 the factory will be able to produce more than 1 000 lightweight wagons and up to 3 000 bogies annually, which Innofreight said would make a significant contribution to modernising European rail freight, reducing emissions and supporting modal shift from road to rail.
The 80 ft InnoWaggon is intended to close a gap in the Innofreight product range. It has been designed for transporting ISO and refrigerated containers and light bulk goods such as biomass, wood chips and products from the paper, wood, and construction materials industries. The InnoBogie is 25% lighter than previous models, and production uses fully automated welding robots to ensure consistent quality.
There are currently around 50 employees at the site, receiving EU-backed training in welding technology, quality management, production and soft skills, and in the long term around 260 skilled jobs are to be secured.
