ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, the largest mining and steelmaking company in Ukraine, the railway tracks of which are above 600 kilometers long, improved its average wagons turnover by 35% MoM, having decreased it from 168 to 109 hours.
Improvement of KPI on acceptance, processing and dispatch of wagons with cargoes was possible owing to a significant increase in the number of locomotives fleet, servicing the shops of Steel Plant – from 80 to 89 locomotives. Besides, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih additionally rented 7 locomotives, so in March 96 locomotives are in operation every shift.
Prompt restoration repairs, performed by the company personnel and contractors, contributed to the fleet increase. Moreover, the company successfully overcomes challenges related to deficit of locomotive capital repair facilities in Ukraine and sanctions for the supply of spare parts from Russia. Thus, last year the first locomotive with Cummins American diesel engine was received. The company will receive three more locomotives with such a diesel engine this year.
The representatives of ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih have accepted two locomotives at Mykolaiv Locomotive Repair Plant after their capital repair – they are expected to arrive by the end of this month and thus enhance the fleet of locomotives. Another three locomotives will be delivered to the plant in June. This year, Kriviy Rih metallurgists plan to perform capital repair of 11 traction machines. And beside that, the company own personnel performs current repairs during off-hours. Three locomotives have been already repaired, and another two are at the completion stage.
One more possibility used by the company in order to increase the locomotives fleet is purchasing additional locomotives. One of them – TM2U-9043 – was purchased in the beginning of this year. In February, after testing, it was put into operation. ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to purchase four new locomotives in 2020.
Besides, the company takes actions to improve the situation with delivery and shipment of cargoes via railway, that also impact the whole chain of wagons movement, including movement within the territory of the plant. The problem is that now there is double-flow of empty wagons to the company for the reasons beyond its control. A number of transportation companies (owners of rolling stock) prohibit loading of their wagons after cargo – mainly coal – delivery to the plant. ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih seeks to settle the situation as soon as possible so that it is possible to dispatch concentrate in wagons, which deliver coal to the company.
Another efficient action to expedite transportation is complete transfer to direct delivery routes. In particular, direct routes were implemented from port station Chernomorskaya-TiS. Now, separate trains are formed for coal and limestone coming from the Black Sea ports. They used to go in batches (5, 10 wagons) and time was spent to accumulate them at Kriviy Rih-Sortuvalna station and to form long trains for their delivery to the company. Now, there is a decision made by ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih to abandon the practice of single wagons dispatch in mixed trains, resulting in significant delays with railway transportation.
Besides, negotiations are in progress regarding formation of non-specific trains with empty wagons in order to be able to include the wagons belonging to UZ and private owners into one train. This will significantly facilitate organization of transport flow from the ports to Kriviy Rih hub where it is possible to distribute empty wagons for loading between mining and benefication companies and underground mines (there are about 15 in Kriviy Rih) and the only one metallurgical company.
To improve the situation with transportation, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih concluded the contract with Pivdenna Zaliznytsya for coal wagons sorting at Kupynsk-Sortuvalna station and dispatch of trains to the plant. In addition to that, one contract with Pivdenno-Zahidna Zaliznytsya was concluded for sorting of limestone wagons from Negin station at Zhmerenka station to form train deliveries to metallurgical company. Along with that, negotiations are held with Lviv Zaliznytsya about accumulation of wagons with limestone coming from Skalata and Maksimovka-Ternopilska stations. Currently, the selection of station for train formation is under consideration. (AMKR/Ukrainian metal)