JSC Ukrzaliznytsia has launched the in-house production of R-65 rail joint bars – metal plates used to connect and secure two rails at the joint – which will partially meet the current demand for this essential component.

"Ukrzaliznytsia has started producing R-65 rail joint bars at its own facilities. Previously, these were manufactured by the Azovstal Metallurgical Plant. However, after the enemy destroyed the plant and occupied Mariupol, the railway sector faced a severe shortage of these products," Ukrzaliznytsia reported on its website on Friday.

For the past three years, railway workers have been forced to rely on existing stock and salvage parts from decommissioned rail sections, but this resource has now been exhausted.

"Had we not initiated production and found a way to manufacture these parts, railway operations in certain areas could have come to a halt," Ukrzaliznytsia's board member, Yevhen Shramko, was quoted as saying by the company's press service.

According to Shramko, the first batch of joint bars produced at Ukrzaliznytsia's facilities will weigh 45 tonnes. In 2025, the company plans to produce an initial 300 tonnes, while the cumulative shortfall accumulated over the past three years exceeds 1,000 tonnes. A production schedule is being developed to fully meet this demand, which requires an additional 700 tonnes.

Ukrzaliznytsia's annual demand for these components alone is projected at 464 tonnes. Additionally, the company is considering export opportunities, particularly to the Baltic countries.