OREANDA-NEWS. April 12, 2007. The Forum is the largest of the events organized within the sector, intended to discuss global issues of the 1520 mm gauge development in the CIS, Baltic states, Mongolia and Finland. Over 500 delegates from over 30 countries are going to participate. Russian Railways therefore organize a press-tour for journalists with departure from Moscow to Sochi by plane on May, 23 and return back to Moscow on May, 27. All expenses including the flight and hotel accommodation in Sochi are on Russian Railways.


The Forum is a unique, effective platform for communications and dialogues between heads of national railway authorities and business leaders of the sector, including consignors, investors, machine-engineering companies, consulting companies, logistical and transport companies, as well as high-ranking governmental officials and representatives of international organizations. Among others invited to participate in the forum are Luc Aliadiere, Chief Executive, International Union of Railways (UIC), Hartmut Mehdorn, Chairman of the Board, Deutsche Bahn AG, Andrй Navarri, President, Bombardier Transportation, Philippe Mellier, Executive Vice President, Alstom-Transport, Sebastian Wittgenstein, Vice President, Transport and Infrastructure Work Group, Morgan Stanley, Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, President, Finmeccanica, Dietrich Mueller, Vice President, Siemens AG. 1520 mm is the official gauge of the railways, in use in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States, Mongolia and Finland with the total length in this space reaching 226,830 km (227,830 km totally in the world). The 1520 mm gauge is also referred to as the broad gauge.