Russia: Ivan Kolesnikov, Deputy General Director for Passenger Service of Russian Railways (RZD), told about it in an interview with RZD TV.
The operator plans to renew the commuter fleet with purchasing of about 3,700 coaches and primarily multiple unit cars by 2035. “This figure could potentially increase, depending on orders from Russian regions”, Mr. Kolesnikov explains, noting that RZD is currently engaged in negotiations with these regions regarding the procurement of modern trains. “Our train builders are fully capable of producing commuter rolling stock of global quality”, he adds.
RZD has also announced plans to purchase a significant number of coaches for its long-distance rail services. However, the TMH plant in Tver, which produces the coaches, is now operating at full capacity due to orders from other countries. “We are prepared to make further acquisitions and anticipate that we will be able to agree larger purchases of up to 600–700 coaches annually between 2025 and 2028”, says the Deputy General Director for Passenger Service.
This year, the national operator will procure 550 coaches for use on long-distance passenger services and 323 commuter coaches and multiple units cars. The commuter purchase includes, inter alia, 25 coaches, 10 non-motor cars for RA-3 diesel trains, 88 cars for 17 Finist EMUs, 186 cars for 33 EP2DM and EP3D EMUs. According to Mr. Kolesnikov, by the end of the year, the fleet of double-deck coaches will exceed 1,000 units.
The introduction of new rolling stock will enable RZD to renew the fleet, enhance passenger comfort and meet the growing demand for travel. The operator forecast assumes that over 1.2 bln passengers will use its commuter and long-distance services by the end of 2024, representing a 1.5% increase compared to 2023.
Over the past decade, RZD bought more than 7,700 coaches for long-distance rail services, resulting in an average service life of the fleet of just 12 years. The commuter services are provided by 12,100 cars and coaches. Of these, 9,000 are owned by RZD, while 3,100 are operated by the Central Exurban Passenger Company. Mr. Kolesnikov reports that RZD has renewed 30–40% of its commuter rolling stock.