Polish state-owned rail freight group PKP Cargo signed an agreement with South Korean manufacturer Sung Shin Rolling Stock Technology (SSRST) to form a joint venture. The plan is to open a manufacturing hub in Poland to build wagons specifically “for the transport of heavy military equipment and to support the military mobility and defense logistics system”, PKP Cargo said.
As of now, the most likely location to be chosen to host the rolling stock plant is PKP Szczecin Port Centralny, a facility within the port of Szczecin-Świnoujście complex. PKP Cargo will provide the resources (real estate and human resources), while SSRST will contribute with its know-how. The new partnership is part of what PKP Cargo called ‘Poland Defense Logistics Rolling Stock Project’.
The ‘Project’
This initiative aims at developing modern rolling stock for military mobility in Poland. “The parties agree to the possibility of establishing a commercial company with its registered office in Poland that will be responsible for implementing the Project”, PKP Cargo added. The agreement is not binding and will last for 12 months, during which PKP and SSRST will try to find an agreement.