Russian Railways" (RZD) plans to increase the current investment program for 2011 to 136 billion rubles, an RZD official said.
Senior Vice President of Russian Railways Valentine Gapanovich told the meeting of the Association of Manufacturers of Railway Equipment in Cheboksary that RZD plans to invest in procurement of newly developed freight locomotives, RIA news agency said.
The twin unit electric locomotives, which feature enhanced characteristics, are now being manufactured by Ural Locomotives Ltd. (a JV of Siemens and Sinara Group) at Ural Railway Engineering Plant (UREP). This May, RZD and Ural Locomotives signed a RUB 42 billion contract for 221 such Siemens’ Desiro class trains.
RZD believes the new engines will help cut energy consumption by 31 percent. In addition, the new locomotives have to run maintenance only once a month.
The updated investment program of RZD for 2011 is RUB 413 billion and for 2012 – RUB 411.6 billion.