On October 25, the first 20 wagons arrived in Montevideo and in the coming months all the necessary equipment will continue to arrive to complete the total of 120 wagons and 7 locomotives. These will be used to transport 2.3 million tons of cellulose per year, and the supplies for the UPM plant. The unloading operation was carried out by PLANIR Port Operator, a CHR Group company.
The wagons coming from Bilbao, Spain weigh 22 tons, are 17.4 meters long, and have a cargo capacity of 64 tons. They were specially designed for this project and feature anti-vandalism characteristics such as canvas, upper covers, and metal end walls. They are waterproof and have a non-slip solution inside to prevent cargo movement during transport. The loading and unloading process of cellulose will be done through the upper cover, which has an electric opening and closing system with a manual alternative system. The wagons will be used in convoys of up to 26 wagons pulled by a single locomotive.
The first prototypes arrived in May, and the construction of the Operations and Maintenance Center in the city of Joanicó, Canelones Department began in March.