Ukraine’s Interpipe Ships 10,000 Railway Wheels to Indian Railways

At the end of 2024, Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe successfully completed a contract for the supply of 10,000 railway wheels to Indian Railways, the state-owned operator of India’s railway network.

The contract, which covered standard 1000 mm freight wheels for hopper cars and BOXN-type covered wagons, was fulfilled ahead of schedule.

According to Alexander Garkaviy, director of the Railway Products Division at Interpipe, this contract marked the first large-scale order from Indian Railways since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The delivery process faced logistical challenges due to disruptions in maritime transport. While most shipments were routed through European ports, the final batches were dispatched from Ukrainian ports.

The shipping crisis in the Red Sea, which forced vessels to reroute around Africa, resulted in longer transit times. Despite these challenges, Interpipe delivered all products to the customer within the agreed timeframe.

“Interpipe has been a trusted partner of Indian Railways for over 25 years. Completing this order ahead of schedule was a key priority for us. In January 2025, we secured a new contract from Indian Railways, and we plan to double the volume of freight wheel deliveries to India this year.”

Interpipe is an international producer of steel pipes and railway products, with a presence in over 50 countries. The company operates a sales network across key markets in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. In 2023, Interpipe supplied 387,000 tons of steel pipes and 95,000 tons of railway products, marketed under the KLW brand.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could use his influence to personally urge Russian leader Vladimir Putin to return forcibly deported Ukrainian children. Zelenskyy emphasized that India could join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and support the Peace Summit communique addressing this issue.