VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Ural Locomotives, which is owned by Sinara Group and Siemens, to look over the company's products and projects, in particular the newest freight locomotive 2ES10, which is planned for mass-production. The prime minister examined its cabin, where engineers explained how the locomotive operates.
More than half of the engineering solutions used in this locomotive have never been used before in Russian engineering. The locomotives will be equipped with GLONASS navigation systems. This is expected to improve railway safety: through the GLONASS system, railway controllers can stop trains remotely, and locomotives can pass through railway signals automatically recognising between stop and clear signals.
The Prime Minister looked over a project for Desiro passenger trains, which are planned to be used in Sochi during the 2014 Olympics and then in other Russian regions. The trains employ unique fourth-generation technology, which allows them to reach the speed of 160 kmh.
So far Russian Railways and Siemens have signed supply contracts for 54 such trains. In the future another 1,200 Desiro railcars will be produced in Russia, and production localisation will gradually rise to 80%. The prime minister stressed the need to develop a programme for high-speed railway traffic in Russia. "Given the combined length of the railways on Russian territory, this programme must be a large-scale and comprehensive project," he said. Addressing President and CEO of Siemens AG Peter Loescher, Prime Minister Putin said that this could become Russia's major joint project with its German partners "for years ahead".
The Prime Minister attended a presentation of how engineers develop the design for rolling stock in 3D. This technology allows for the optimisation of the design and development process and the reduction of the cost of its life cycle, and it is also used in training programmes.
In the presence of Prime Minister Putin, Russian Railways and Siemens signed an agreement for a new engineering centre to be built in Russia. Its specialists will design and develop multiple units, including for Desiro trains.
The Russian prime minister also held a video conference with the plant's corporate partners.
In particular, Vladimir Putin conversed with Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical Works Board Chairman Vladimir Skornyakov, who said that the plant would manufacture railcar parts for Siemens.
The Prime Minister also spoke with Siemens Electroprivod's Strategic Development Director Waldemar Ehrlich, who described the company's plans to extend its design activities. He said that the company aimed to have products that were not only made in Russia, but also developed in Russia.
Vladimir Kochetkov, executive director of the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant, participated in the conference as well. He reported that the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant had signed a trilateral memorandum on cooperation with Russian Railways and Siemens. According to the document, the enterprise was chosen as a potential supplier of wheels for the Lastochka electric trains and the Sapsan high-speed trains. In connection with this, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin noted that "cooperating with such suppliers will allow for the localisation of the production of the next generation of rolling stock."
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After the tour of Ural Locomotives, the Prime Minister looked over an exhibition of the Sverdlovsk Region's innovative development projects. The exhibition featured innovative solutions in healthcare, transport, the housing and utilities sector, science, education and manufacturing industries. In particular, Uralvagonzavod exhibited a new generation of gondolas, and Irbit Chemical and Pharmaceuticals Plant presented a project for an innovative drugs manufacturing facility. Over the next five years a total of 500 million roubles will be invested in this project.
