Russian Railways (RZD) has ordered 13 high-speed Velaro RUS trains from Siemens Mobility and Ural Locomotives, a joint venture of the Sinara Group and Siemens AG. The order has a volume of around €1.1 billion. The contract also includes maintenance of the trains for a period of 30 years. RZD originally ordered eight Velaro trainsets from Siemens Mobility in 2006 and placed a follow-up order for an additional eight trains in 2011.
The contract was signed on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) by Oleg Belozerov, General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of RZD, Dmitry Pumpyansky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sinara Group, Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens AG, and Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
“By signing this agreement, we are taking the long-standing and highly successful partnership with Russian Railways to a new level. The Moscow-St. Petersburg route is already one of the most efficient high-speed connections in the world. We will continue to work together to expand this network and thus make an important contribution to the development of modern infrastructure in Russia and create qualified jobs in the country,” said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG.
“The fact that RZD is relying on Siemens Mobility for the third time in expanding its high-speed fleet reflects the strong performance of our Velaro platform, which increases value sustainably over the entire lifecycle, enhances passenger experience and optimizes availability. The Velaro has already proven its reliability in Russia after covering more than 50 million fleet kilometers since 2009,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
The ten-car Velaro trains will operate between Moscow and St. Petersburg and help meet the growing demand for service on the 650-kilometer line with the highest passenger volume in Russia. The Velaro is called the “Sapsan” (Peregrine Falcon) in Russia and is specially designed for the country’s broad gauge and extreme temperatures (ranging from -40 C° to +40°). The Sapsan trains are equipped with Russia’s national train control system and can accommodate around 550 passengers. The train’s state-of-the-art equipment, high-quality design and a varied passenger entertainment program offer passengers special features and comfort. The trains are serviced and maintained at the Siemens Mobility depot in St. Petersburg.
