Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine - Minister for Communities and Territories Development, visited PJSC Kryukov Railway Car Building Works (KRCBW) during his working visit.
During the visit, Oleksii Kuleba and the plant's management inspected the full cycle of production of passenger cars of various types. The plant is currently fulfilling a Government order for the renewal of rolling stock for Ukrzaliznytsia: the first 15 of 66 cars of the batch are already running on the Dnipro-Lviv-Dnipro route, and another 5 cars are expected to be delivered in the near future.
Oleksii Kuleba emphasised that support for Ukrainian producers is one of the key tasks of the Government.
"Supporting the national producer is especially important in the context of a full-scale invasion. Every day, Ukrainian entrepreneurs demonstrate that they are capable of working at the high level, even in the most difficult conditions," said Oleksii Kuleba.
Kryukov Railway Car Building Works is an example of industrial sustainability and responsibility. Due to the high degree of localisation of production (over 80%), the company does not only provide jobs for its employees, but also supports the work of more than 165 related Ukrainian suppliers, forming a powerful economic chain in different regions of the country. There are many contractors, particularly in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Sumy regions.
On the outcomes of the working visit, it was decided to develop a comprehensive development programme for national enterprises supplying the railway industry.
"Together with the relevant enterprises and related ministries, we need to work out a comprehensive programme that will stimulate the development of manufacturers. We will create the conditions for Ukrainian enterprises to become the basis for the country's recovery. This is not just the responsibility of the state, but a strategic step towards strengthening the Ukrainian economy, promoting domestic products and developing infrastructure even in the most difficult conditions of war," said Oleksii Kuleba.
In his turn, Oleksandr Pertsovsky, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia, stressed that the renewal of Ukrzaliznytsia's rolling stock is a strategic task that is not only economically but also socially important for the country.
"The cooperation between Ukrzaliznytsia and KRCBW is the best example of a successful long-term partnership between two large Ukrainian companies. As a result, Ukrainians receive new modern railcars and jobs, strengthening our economy. It is important that today we have confirmed the decision to include a new generation of passenger cars in the next order - larger, with autonomous air conditioning, an appropriate level of comfort and an extended service life. So in the future, there will be even more modern rolling stock made in Ukraine on the railway tracks. I am grateful to the Government for its support and the opportunity to renew our passenger car fleet," said the Chairman of the Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.
During the visit, special attention was paid to the integration of the Made in Ukraine initiative into the long-term strategy for the development of railway transport. This initiative, which aims to support and promote domestic producers, is already proving effective: its principles allow Ukrainian enterprises to receive stable government orders and help the country reduce its dependence on imports.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the plant's employees for their dedication and professionalism.