“We are pleased and proud to be able to renew a relatively traditional design with solutions that enable cost-effective logistics with high productivity and security for a wagon that is opened and closed many times each shift,” said Fredrik Kangas, managing director of Kiruna Wagon.

“With the new rail wagons, we take another step towards Södra's goal of fossil-free transport by 2030,” said Christer Larsson, logistics manager at Södra Cell Värö. In the project, increased transport utility is achieved without changing the conditions of the current railway line.

“Thanks to Kiruna Wagon's solution, we increase our transport capacity by 25 percent using the same train length, which prepares us for future production increases,” added Christer Larsson.

Part of the design challenge was to protect the sensitive pulp material from rain and melting ice and snow. At the same time, the entire wagon side must be fully openable to enable efficient loading and unloading.

“We are experts on ice and snow and have therefore chosen not to go with sliding sections, which, in addition to offering a limited cargo opening, also function poorly in winter conditions. Instead, we have chosen a coherent lightweight solution in which the whole side is opened by a four-bar mechanism,” said Mikael Mattsson, mechanical designer at Kiruna Wagon.

The technology, which is based on a combination of hard moving parts and tarpaulin, is in many ways proven in rail and truck transport, but in order to make the entire long side openable, it has been necessary to develop some new solutions that can both close tightly against weather and wind and open with high operational and personal safety also during the winter months.

“Details of the wagon will be innovative and take Södra's wagons to be ahead of their competitors’ in quality, productivity and safety. That's our mission here at Kiruna Wagon,” concluded Fredrik Kangas.

The first prototype wagon will be ready in spring 2020.