Steel maker Evraz (www.evraz.com) is to invest $60 million in its Nizhniy Tagil Steel Plant in the Ural Mountains to boost its railway-wheel production capacity.

The aim is to optimise the forging, inspection and machining lines, in order to increase output by 78,000 wheels per year, while meeting the most stringent customer requirements.

The project includes the installation of two automatic full-section wheel-machining lines and the construction of a line with laser measurement of wheel geometry plus non-destructive testing stations for surface and internal defects, a shot peening plant and an embossing station.

Evraz vice-president (sales and logistics) Ilya Shirokobrod said: “In recent years, we have seen a steady growth in the demand for railway wheels in Russia. Our focal point is to increase our share of this market and meet the growing needs of customers.

"On top of the current project, we are also considering the construction of a second wheel shop, with a capacity of 200,000 wheels per year.”

Evraz is one of the world’s five largest manufacturers of railway wheels.

It produces wheels for freight and passenger railcars, as well as locomotives. Its product portfolio includes over 60 types of wheels, which are exported around the world.