Alstom to supply high speed Pendolino trains for the Helsinki to St. Petersburg rail link

Saint Ouen Cedex, France – Alstom has been awarded a contract to supply four high speed Pendolino trains for the Helsinki (Finland) to St. Petersburg (Russia) rail link. The contract is worth €120 million. It also includes an option for two further trains. The customer, Karelian Trains, is a joint venture between Russian Railways (RZD) and Finnish Railways (VR), which will co-manage the trains. This is the first contract won by Alstom in the Russian main line rail sector.

The new Pendolino trains will operate on a 450 km, high-speed line connecting the cities of Helsinki and St. Petersburg in 3 hours (the journey currently takes 5.5 hours) at speeds of up to 220 kph. The trains will comprise seven cars, making a total of 352 seats, including a business class section. Customs and passport checks will be carried out on board in a dedicated car.

Scheduled for delivery in early 2009 and ready for service in 2010, the trains are based on the Pendolinos which already operate in Finland, featuring the same front-end and interior fittings and adapted to extreme winter conditions. They also include components taken from the very latest generation of Alstom tilting trains, the New Pendolino (traction system, braking system and hydraulic tilting mechanism), and are equipped with a dual voltage power supply system and safety and signalling systems, making them suitable for the Finnish and Russian networks. The trains will be manufactured by Alstom’s Savigliano site in Italy.

Alstom supplied electrical equipment for the Moscow underground system in 2001. In Finland, 18 Pendolino trains and 30 suburban trains manufactured by Alstom are currently in service.

“This new contract represents a major step in the development of Alstom’s presence in the Russian transport market and also strengthens the Group’s long-standing successes in Finland”, stated Philippe Mellier, President of Alstom’s Transport Sector.