OREANDA-NEWS. February 14, 2013. VNIIZhT and Patentes Talgo signed a supplementary agreement to the framework contract concluded between the two companies on 25 January 2012. The contract was signed by VNIIZhT Managing Director Boris Lapidus and Patentes Talgo CEO Jose Maria Oriol Fabra in Madrid in the presence of Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin, reported the press-centre of RZD.     

The supplementary agreement regulates VNIIZhT's provision of services to Talgo which are necessary in order to implement the first phase of the project to develop the Talgo train and meet the technical requirements that apply to rolling stock undergoing certification in Russia.

The first stage is called "Basic Engineering" and includes the development of technical specifications for the Talgo passenger trains, the technical terms of reference, calculations, the testing of the individual components of the carriages and the development of design documentation.

During this stage, VNIIZhT will provide consulting services regarding the regulations in force on railways using the 1520 mm broad gauge system and also examine the calculations and design documentation.

"We expect the high-speed Talgo trains to become an additional resource for increasing speeds while optimising expenditures on modernising infrastructure. This resource is particularly necessary in view of the need to provide an integrated transport service during the football World Cup in 2018," said Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, at the signing ceremony.
Yakuin also noted that the research trials conducted by VNIIZhT on the Talgo trains confirmed the potential for a significant increase in speed on railways using the 1520 mm broad gauge system thanks to a unique carriage tilting solution.