OREANDA-NEWS. April 04, 2013. Russian Railways, SNCF, France's national rail company, the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MIIT), the National School of Bridges and Roads (ENPC) and the Conservatoire national des arts et metiers (CNAM) have signed a Letter of Intent to establish an international centre of high-speed rail and high-speed transport systems. The agreement was signed by Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, Guillaume Pepy, President of SNCF, Boris Levin, President of MIIT, Armel de La Bourdonnaye, Director of ENPC and Christian Forestier, Rector of CNAM. The signing ceremony took place in Paris on 27 March 2013.

The agreement is aimed at developing and improving high-speed transportation systems and their various components in France and the CIS countries. It demonstrates the parties' interest in an international centre of high-speed rail and transportation systems which will allow them to coordinate their research and technology, organise cooperation between the Russian and French scientific and technical communities, conduct research and train personnel to work on high-speed rail.

"We are ready to share our experience and best practices in high-speed traffic with the Russian side. In September 2014, the High Speed Railway Engineering Department will begin operations," said Guillaume Pepy at the signing ceremony.

"We have been studying the experience of French colleagues in high-speed communications for the last five years. And today, we don't just want to copy SNCF's experience, but together create an even more sophisticated system of high-speed links because of the huge distances we have in Russia. For our part, we also have something to share with SNCF, for example, our experience in operating trains at low temperatures," said the President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin.