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New Lastochka train becomes RZD’s hallmark

One standard Lastochka (Swallow) train will cost 8.6 million euros

SOCHI, May 31 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Railways Company (RZD) President Vladimir Yakunin said new Lastochka trains, which will transport Sochi Olympic Games athletes and guests in 2014, have become the company’s hallmark.

“The equipping of the new trains and the ideology of transportation service confirm our commitment to meeting the needs of modern passengers. These trains are RZD’s hallmark for passenger service,” he said.

A Lastochka train designed by Siemens specialists made the first trip along the Black Sea shore from Sochi to Adler.

The train is the first of 38 trains ordered in 2009. Their production started at Siemens in April of last year. RZD placed an order for the next 16 trains in September 2010.

In September 2011, RZD and Siemens signed contracts for making 1,200 carriages for Lastochka trains and maintaining 54 commuter trains of the same series.

Five-carriage Lastochka trains, intended primarily for the transportation of athletes and guests of the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014, will be made in the Sverdlovsk region starting in 2013.

A joint venture for the production of Lastochka trains involves Siemens AG, Sinara Group, and LLC Aeroexpress. As per the agreement between the partners, Lastochka trains will be assembled at the Ural Railway Machine Building Factory (part of Sinara Group) in Yekaterinburg. Total investments in the production of the Lastochka electric trains in Russia are preliminarily estimated to equal 100-150 million euros.

The memorandum on the creation of the joint venture for production, delivery and servicing of new generation trains with a Desiro series asynchronous pulling system was signed by and between Russian Railways Company, Siemens and Aeroexpress in May, 2010, in the Russian Black sea resort city of Sochi.

Furthermore, a contract was signed in Berlin between Russian Railways and Siemens for delivering 16 Lastochka electric trains for commuter passengers, beginning localisation of their production in Russia (about 35 percent) on September 21, 2010.

Russian Railways has an agreement with Siemens on joint production of 1,200 carriages for commuter trains until 2020.

The increased localisation of regional train production in Russia is due to start in 2012 with the manufacture of the remaining 16 trains under the contract.

One standard Lastochka (Swallow) train will cost 8.6 million euros, which is 20 percent less than the cost of the trains currently supplied under effective contracts with Siemens.