Russia: A tripartite agreement for the supply of 41 trains for the Moscow–Saint Petersburg high-speed railway (HSR) has been concluded between the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLC), the concessionaire company VSM Two Capitals and the manufacturer Ural Locomotives.
As GTLC announced after the contract was signed in Moscow on 30 August, all the trains, which “will be leased for 20 years”, are expected to be delivered by 2030. The value of the trains was not disclosed.
Ural Locomotives points out that the contract will allow the construction of the necessary facilities to begin. Two new buildings and a testing station will ensure the annual production of 300 cars for trains running at speeds both below and equal to or above 250 km/h.
In April, Russian Railways (RZD) signed a contract with Ural Locomotives for the development, certification and delivery of the first two pilot trains. The value of the contract is RUB 12 bln ($134.9 mln), with deliveries to be completed by the end of March 2028.
The project covered by the tripartite agreement involves the development of Russia’s first high-speed train, with a design speed of 360 km/h, capable of reaching almost 400 km/h in test conditions. Its mock-up, named Bely Krechet (Russian for White Falcon), is now on display at the “Manezh Station. Moscow Transport 2030” exhibition.
According to Oleg Belozerov, RZD General Director, the approval of the design documentation and the start of production of the prototype are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. More than 150 component suppliers have already been selected for the project.
