25 Dec '09
Germany’s Siemens has shipped to Russia the eighth Sapsan high-speed train, the last one under the current contract, Russian Railways reports.
The train has been reportedly brought to the station of Baltiisk in Kaliningrad Region by ferry.
According to the source, Russian Railways and Siemens inked a $414m supply contract for eight Sapsan trains in 2006; in April 2007 it was supplemented with a $531m thirty-year technical maintenance contract.
The Russian company reportedly plans to buy 38 more trains in years to come; they will serve the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russian Rail says.
In addition, the company expects 16 trains to be manufactured in Russia. A production localization program will reportedly get started in 2013; by 2015 Sapsan production will be hopefully 80% localized, Russian Railways says.