Talgo high-speed trains move step closer to Russian certification

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Patentes Talgo has signed a supplementary agreement with the All-Russian Railway Research (VNIIZhT) institute to bring Spanish high-speed trains to Russia.

The contract comes off the back of a deal made in January 2012 to adapt Patentes Talgo SL trains for use on Russia’s 1520mm railways.

The agreement, which was signed by Boris Lapidus, general director of JSC VNIIZhT, and José María Oriol Fabra, executive director of Patentes Talgo, will allow the first stage of development to go ahead, ensuring Talgo trains meet the technical requirements for certification in Russia.

A deal worth more than 100 million euros has already been agreed between Talgo and Russian Railways (RZD) for three trains to serve the Moscow to Berlin route and four trains for the Moscow to Kiev line.

At the signing ceremony, president of RZD Vladimir Yakunin said: “We expect the Talgo high-speed train to be an additional resource for rapid transportation with the optimisation of infrastructure costs.

“Such a resource is in particular demand in connection with integrated transport services for the 2018 World Cup.”

As well as being developed to operate on Russian gauge railways, Talgo’s automatic gauge-change system will have to be adapted to handle winter conditions.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hey Talgo is a Spanish train manufacturer, not Italian. AFAIK Italy does not produce any HS train since Ansaldo Breda epic fail with the Fyra train in holland.

  2. The Spanish gauge (1660mm) is broader than the Russian gauge (1520mm) and cosidering that Talgo trains already cross the border to France with standar gauge, I do not see technical problems to adapt them to handle a Moscow-Berlin trip.

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