RZD Orders Gauge-Changing Passenger Trains

Russian Railways subsidiary Federal Passenger Company has ordered design and supply gauge-changing passenger trains from Spanish company Patentes Talgo.

Under the deal, Patentes Talgo will supply seven trains with 20 automatic gauge wagons, which can be adjusted for use on both narrow and broad-gauge track.

The trains will have a mechanism that can change the gauge of its bogies from the Russian broad-gauge of 1,520mm width to the European narrow-gauge width of 1,435mm.

The trains will also feature a coach-tilting system, which allows greater speeds around tight bends, cutting the time for their negotiation by 20-30%.

The passenger trains will be deployed between Moscow – Kiev in the Ukraine and Moscow – Berlin in Germany and will reduce travel times between Moscow and Kiev from 13 hours to seven hours and between Moscow and Berlin from 27 hours to 18 hours.