MAPNA Group and its subsidiaries are currently manufacturing at least 200 types of high-tech industrial products that have a say in terms of quality vis-a-vis their foreign counterparts, said MAPNA CEO Abbas Aliabadi on Sunday.
During a visit to Wagon Pars Company (WCPO) in the central city of Arak, Aliabadi said MAPNA Group is currently collaborating with several domestic manufacturers for producing high-tech machinery and equipment needed in various industrial sectors.
Referring to the collaborations with WPCO, which was officially acquired by MAPNA late last year, Aliabadi expressed hope that the move will help realize the Group’s strategy to diversify activities in the rail sector and contribute to the country’s sustainable development goals.
He emphasized, “Serious work must be done to diversify the products of Wagon Pars products in accordance with the latest technologies.”
“Such a goal will be achieved through maximizing productivity and improving quality as well as making the utmost use of domestic capacities,” he added.
According to Aliabadi, WPCO has already signed an agreement to deliver 1,000 wagons; however, he said, “MAPNA expects its subsidiaries to broaden their horizons and enter global markets in order to vie with internationally well-known brands.”
Established in 1974, Wagon Pars is the largest manufacturer of rail fleet, including freight and passenger wagons, locomotives, train sets, subway cars and bogies, in Iran and the Middle East. The company has manufactured a variety of wagons under the license of France’s Alstom and Germany’s Siemens, as well as other well-known brands including Germany’s SGP, Serbia’s Goša FOM, and China’s CRC.
So far, WPCO has delivered around 12,000 wagons, which constituted around 70% of the Iranian rail fleet. The company has also exported over 2,000 wagons and bogies to China, Cuba, Bangladesh, Syria and Sudan.
MAPNA acquired the ownership of Wagon Pars Company in December 2020, after examining the idea of entering the field of metro cars production.
The transfer of Wagon Pars ownership to MAPNA Group allows for the division of responsibilities and obligations, which will boost the performance of MAPNA subsidiaries in this field; it also gives MAPNA the opportunity to provide comprehensive solutions for the country’s rail sector issues, facilitating Iran’s transformation into a rail transport corridor.
The WPCO acquisition will also lead to a more robust supply chain of recognized domestic and international vendors; back in 2000s when MAPNA Group entered the rail sector, the group merely imported and assembled completely built units (CBUs). Later, the conglomerate embarked on the production of wagon car bodies, chassis, bogie inside the country under the supervision and expertise from German experts.
