Russian Railways, RZD, has ordered a further 1,200 Desiro RUS self propelled electric driven cars from Train Technologies, a joint venture between Siemans of Germany and Russian manufacturer Sinara.,consolidating Siemens position as the leading non-Russian supplier to RZD. A €2bn contract to supply the Desiro RUS electric multiple-unit (EMU) cars to Russian Railways in 2015-20 was signed on September 7 during Expo 1520 at Shcherbinka, and follows a preliminary agreement concluded on June 1. 

A PKP Intercity Class EU07 electric locomotive has been extensively re-engineered by Polish firm ZNTK OLEŚNICA S.A.as a pilot for wider future programme.

The new locomotive has been uprated to 3.2 MW from the existing 2 MW of power, which allows a top-speed of 160 Km/h from the current 125 Km/h.

The DC traction motors have been redesigned by Emit Zychlin and the new EY541X4 three-phase AC motors will be fed by a Medcom FT-1600-3000 inverters. IPS Tabor has supplied the microprocessor diagnostic and control systems along with the pneumatic equipments while Enika supplied the auxiliary power equipments.

The new engine is being tested by PKP Intercity after which the company intends to place an order for 20 additional units.

The Ukrainian state railway UZ has signed two separate contracts totaling €1.46 billion for procuring 433 electric freight locomotives on July 20 from Russian and Georgian suppliers. The final contracts are expected to be signed in September 2011, subject to funding approval. Deliveries are scheduled between 2012 and 2016. The new 3 kV electric locomotives will replace the ageing fleet of VL8 engines acquired back during 1953-1967 and part of UZ’s plan to modernise its fleet by 2020.

A group of 30 RZD senior management staff attended a week of study last month at the University of Portsmouth in the UK under an Anglo-Russian partnership agreement initiated in 2009 with support from global accountancy practice PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

The group studied at the university's Business School as part of their MBA course at the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering. Among the objectives of the tour was to improve the students' fluency in English, and to learn about the UK's experience of railway reform. 

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