RZD Plans to Modernise Railway Fleet

Siemens has signed a €2.5bn letter of intent with Russian Railways (RZD) to supply 675 locomotives to modernise the country’s rail network.

The German company will produce the locomotives in a joint venture with Russian partner Sinara. Russian Rail is already operating Granit 2ES10 locomotives from the company. Under the new agreement, the rail operator will buy the two-section cargo electric locomotives fleet between 2016 and 2020.
Sinara and Siemens formed a joint venture, known as Ural Locomotives, in 2010 to manufacture electric locomotives in Verkhnyaya Pyshma near Yekaterinburg. Siemens hold a 49% stake in the joint venture.
In May 2010, RZD placed an order for a total of 221 electric freight locomotives at Ural Locomotives; the latest agreement confirms the earlier deal for the delivery of 221 locomotives by 2016.
The remaining locomotives are scheduled to be delivered by 2020, while the exact number of delivered vehicles will be decided in an additional contract to be signed by 2014.
Siemens has invested €100m to set up modern freight locomotive production in Russia.
Siemens formed another JV with Sinara called Train Technologies in June 2011 to deliver 240 Desiro RUS electric trains of 1,200 railcars to RZD.
Under the €2bn deal, Train Technologies will produce the trains at its Yekaterinburg manufacturing facility, starting from 2013.