By Nadezhda Radionova
The new double-decker trains for Russian Aeroexpress are being made in Belarus, at the new factory in Fanipol, which is currently under construction. Stadler, the co-founder of Belarusian-Swiss Electric Transport JSC, has won the tender in Moscow to supply 16 four-car trains and 8 six-car trains by 2016. A further 13 trains may be ordered.
The Fanipol plant should begin operations by late 2013, making the trains for Aeroexpress. The model will follow that of Swiss KISS trains, while being tailored not only to the Russian climate but to the railway line gauge, which affects width of rolling stock and height. The new trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 160km/h, being made of light aluminium, rather than conventional steel. This should also save on operating costs.
Business and economy class carriages are to be included on the double-decker trains. In fact, 133 similar KISS models are already operational, available in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg. Philipp Brunner underlines the importance of the deal with Aeroexpress, which paves the way for future partnerships.
The joint factory making railway and urban electric passenger transport vehicles in Fanipol is part of a project launched last year. Belkommunmash Holding Management Company JSC (Belarus) and Stadler Rail AG Company (Switzerland) have signed an investment project, which runs until 2016. Stadler Rail AG owns 60 percent of the joint enterprise, having instigated its establishment; it is overseeing the factory’s design and construction, as well as engineering and transport infrastructure. The joint venture will create over 1,000 jobs, while its goods are to be sold on the home market and across the CIS.
Russian transport company Aeroexpress operates suburban rains connecting Moscow, Sochi and Vladivostok with their city airports. It was founded in 2005, transporting passengers to and from the Moscow airports of Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo into and out of the city’s central railway stations.
