OREANDA-NEWS. On October 05, 2007 Russian Railways conducted negotiations with the Spanish Ministry of Transport and ADIF, the Spanish rail authority, reported the press-centre of Russian Railways. 

The Spanish delegation was headed by Alvares Arsa, Minister of Transport. Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, represented the Company.

The two sides discussed areas for cooperation between Russian Railways, Spanish railways and the Spanish Ministry of Transport.

Russian Railways and ADIF signed a five-year Cooperation Agreement in Rail Transport which provides for an exchange of experience in developing, implementing and improving rail transport technology in Russia and Spain, the design, construction and development of high-speed rail links and the exchange of advanced infrastructure technology for the transportation of both passengers and freight, as well as for the exchange of information regarding new developments and breakthroughs in infrastructure equipment and facilities, including equipment for automatically changing the gauge of trains.

Answering questions from journalists, Vladimir Yakunin noted that at the moment, the Spanish system for automatically changing the gauge was being tested in Russia at the experimental grounds in Shcherbinka.

Yakunin also did not rule out the possibility of Spanish companies taking part in the tender for the construction of a high-speed rail link between Moscow and St. Petersburg in the second half of 2008.