OREANDA-NEWS. June 21, 2011. Russian Railways and the Spanish company PATENTES TALGO S.L. have signed an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation.

The document was signed by Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, and Carlos-Maria de Palacio Oriol, Chairman of the Board of PATENTES TALGO S.L. at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 18 June 2011 in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Spanish Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero.

The agreement provides for the establishment of long-term scientific and technological cooperation on development, manufacturing, operations and maintenance, the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks for high-speed rolling stock and a new generation of rolling stock and infrastructure.

According to the contract, the scientific and technological cooperation between the two companies will focus on the following main areas:
exchange of information on technical regulation,
exchange of experience in operating high-speed rolling stock,
engineering support on the construction, repair and maintenance of rolling stock and infrastructure,
development and implementation of training facilities, textbooks and literature for operating and maintenance personnel,
training Russian specialists in new technologies when developing and maintaining rolling stock and infrastructure,
joint work on adapting rolling stock with pneumatic carriage suspension to Russia’s climatic conditions,
introduction and use of automatic gauge-changing of rolling stock, taking into account Russia’s climatic factors,
harmonisation of standards and testing and analytical techniques for rolling stock and components,
development of new methods for providing services to passengers.

Under the agreement, a joint working group will be set up to organise the scientific and technical work.