RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) says design work could begin by the end of this year on the 790km Moscow – Kazan section of the proposed 1600km Moscow – Yekaterinburg high-speed line.

RUSSIAN car builder Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) and its partner Bombardier have today unveiled at the Hannover Fair models of a new metro train and a new LRV which they are developing jointly for Russia.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has signed a memorandum of understanding for the supply of 350 four-axle electric locomotives with Siemens and its Russian joint venture partner Sinara.

RUSSIA's Finance Ministry has announced proposals to cut subsidies for long-distance train services and divert the funding to investment in aviation.

BMZ Bryansk, a subsidiary of Transmashholding (TMH), Russia, has awarded a contract to Wärtsilä TMH Diesel Engine Company (WTEC) for 12 Wärtsilä 20L generating sets for installation in series TEM 18B diesel shunters.

A trial run of the first train in Russia to use new double-deck coaches was successfully carried out by Russian Railways' (RZD) Federal Passenger Company (FPC) subsidiary in Murmansk region on February 20.

THE Russian government has outlined plans for a Roubles 21bn ($US 703m) rail link to Sakhalin island.

THE mayor of Moscow Mr Sergei Sobyanin has revealed plans to build 250km of metro lines during the next few years in the Russian capital, and for the first time, most of them will be constructed above ground.

ALSTOM and its Russian partner Transmashholding (TMH) are carrying out static and dynamic tests on the first 2ES5 double-unit electric locomotive for Russian Railways (RZD) at TMH's Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (NVEZ) in southwest Russia.

STADLER has beaten Alstom and Skoda, Czech Republic, in a tender to supply a fleet of double-deck emus to Aeroexpress for operation on services to Moscow's three airports. Stadler will supply 112 cars with an option for 60 more in a deal worth around €350m.