RUSSIA: A €2bn contract for the Train Technologies joint venture of Siemens and Sinara to supply a further 1 200 Desiro RUS electric multiple-unit cars to Russian Railways in 2015-20 was signed on September 7.

The contract was signed during Expo 1520 at Shcherbinka, and follows a preliminary agreement concluded on June 1. The EMUs will be built at a plant near Yekaterinburg where the Ural Locomotives joint venture of Siemens and Sinara has been producing electric freight locomotives since 2010.

Siemens also signed a €500m contract to maintain the 54 Desiro RUS trainsets ordered by RZD in 2009-10. RZD will make staff and depots near Sochi and Moscow available for use by Siemens, which will be responsible for maintenance management, logistics and spares for 40 years from 2013.

The contracts were signed by Siemens CEO Peter Löscher, RZD President Vladimir Yakunin and Sinara Group President Dmitriy Pumpyanski. 'We shall be investing more than €200m in the Desiro production set-up, in modern buildings, machine tools and personnel training', said Löscher. 'Siemens is the most successful non-Russian supplier of railway technology in that country. By localising production activities, we are strengthening this market position and securing our close ties with the Russian railway industry.'

Desiro RUS, branded Lastochka ('Little Swallow') by RZD, is a development of the Desiro ML family. Modifications for Russian conditions included bodies widened to 3 500 mm, 1 520 mm gauge bogies and winterisation for temperatures of -40°C. Siemens says the 160 km/h units will offer passengers and staff greater comfort than existing Russian stock, and consume 30% less energy. The first units are due to enter service in Kazan and Sochi in late 201