Siemens - Hightech Trains for Russia

Russian state railway company RZD is soon to receive the first of eight high-speed trains ordered from Siemens that will cut one hour off the trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The deal that is worth over 600 million euros has involved various new challenges for the German electronics and engineering giant; the railway gauge in Russia is 33cm wider than in Germany, and the trains will also have to withstand harsh local weather conditions, with temperatures sometimes dropping to minus 50°C. Testing has so far been limited to simulations. But the first "Velaro RUS" train is now ready for shipment to Russia via the Baltic Sea. Our reporters Alexa Meyer and Alexandra von Nahmen are on board for its maiden voyage. ________________________________ The new super-train on its way to the ferry. Slowly but surely, it is tugged into position by a locomotive. It's a proud moment for Matias Merta, and the first time he's seen the Velaro RUS moving. He helped build the train, and is here to ensure it reaches its destination safely. He says: "I've seen it motionless before, and now it's actually on broad gauge lines for the first time. It's a big event, even if it's not moving on its own yet. But it's the first time I've seen the individual carriages coupled together to form a complete train." The Sassnitz docks have tracks with the same gauge used in Russia. The port is used to ship large amounts of cargo headed eastwards. The journey across the Baltic will take two days or more. The ship's load has to be evenly distributed for the journey - so the Velaro RUS is stowed in two sections in the cargo hold. The new train is the result of a two-year project for the engineers and designers at Siemens. Their biggest challenge was the Russian winter, David John, the head of the project, says: "The low temperatures posed the toughest challenge. It's something you have to really work hard on." Russia is considered one of the most attractive markets for the railway sector. So this is an imortant contract for Siemens...but it also means potential headaches when it comes to red tape. Matias Merta mentoines: "I'm already thinking about tomorrow and on Monday, when it arrives at the other port and has to go through customs. Explaining things to the Russian customs officials will be interesting. I am already starting to think about that. We're more or less clear here." Not quite, it seems. There are problems securing the load. And communications between German engineers, a Russian client and Latvian crew members are sometimes difficult. Siemens will be supplying a further seven high-speed trains to Russia - and they will also be delivered by ship. Finally the train is safely secured, and the German engineers can start to relax: "Tonight we'll enjoy some vodka on the ferry" His colleague is also relieved that two years of hard work are over. After 50 hours at sea, the ship arrives in Russia. The unveiling ceremony in St. Petersburg, and Siemens' senior executives are also in attendance. After all, the contract is worth 600-million-euros. It's also a high-profile event for the Russian state railways.Wladimir Jakunin, the präsident of the Russian Railway RZD, says: "The high-speed train between Moscow and St. Petersburg will be our flagship route. It reflects everything we want to achieve with the reforms to Russian railways: comfort, convenience, safety and speed." Vladimir Putin is also among the guests. The Prime Minister takes a close look at the interior of the first-class carriages. The journey time between St. Petersburg and Moscow will be cut by 60 minutes to just two and a half hours. David John is happy: "It's a great feeling - two years of work, dealing with the Russian mentality and finding compromises -- but we've made it. Now there's the next phase before the trains actually start to carry passengers in a year's time. There's a lot to do. But this part is over." The trains will speed between St. Petersburg and Moscow at 250 kilometers an hour - a new speed record on this route for Russian railways.

DW-World | January 6, 2009

Tags:. .motionless. .baltic. .withstand. .carriages. .matias