Russian Railways signed an agreement on February 26 2008 with Mechel, one of Russia's leading steel companies, to take delivery of at least 400,000 tons per annum of rails from 2010 to 2030, RZD-Partner reports.

The deliveries will consist partly of high-speed rails with high durability. Under the agreement, between 2008 to 2010 Mechel will build a modern rail assembly line at the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Combine capable of producing continuous track lengths of up to 100 m.

Russian Railways purchases about 850,000 tons of rail annually. In connection with ambitious plans to build new railways and increasing amounts of track upgrading and renovation now being undertaken, the Company needs approximately 1.1 million tons of rails every year.