OREANDA-NEWS. On April 24, 2007 Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, and Hans Schabert, president of Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of Siemens, signed in Moscow a 30-year contract worth EUR 300 million to service high-speed Velaro RUS electric trains operated by Russian Railways, reported the press-centre of  Russian Railways. In May 2006, Yakunin and Schabert signed a contract worth EUR 276 million to supply 8 high-speed electric trains during the International Business Forum Strategic Partnership 1520 in Sochi. These trains will be manufactured in Germany since that is commercially more viable for both sides.


At the moment, the technical design of the rolling stock is well underway, with working plans already being drawn up. By 20 July 2007, serial production of high-speed trains for Russia will begin in Krefeld, Germany. Yakunin said that a depot for the servicing high-speed trains will be set up at Oktober Railways. The high-speed train Velaro RUS is capable of 250 kph and is planned to operate between Moscow and St. Petersburg, but the design of the train envisages increasing the maximum speed to 330 kph after certain modernisation. Each electric train will be 250 m long and consist of 10 coaches capable of carrying over 600 passengers. The trains will be able to run on Russia s broad gauge track of 1520 mm and will be 33 cm wider than the ICE 3 used in Germany.