MOSCOW metro extended the western leg of the east -west Line 8 on March 16 with the start of passenger services on the 7.3km Park Pobedy - Ramenki stretch of Line 8A.

RZD Logistics, the logistics arm of Russian Railways (RZD), processed more than 56 million tonnes of freight in 2016, a 5% increase year-on-year, with intermodal traffic in particular experiencing significant growth.

BRYANSK Engineering Plant (BMZ) has rolled out what is claimed to be Russia’s first triple-unit mainline diesel locomotive, which has been developed specifically for heavy freight operations on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM).

THE first of 96 new-generation trains being built Metrowagonmash for Moscow Metro arrived at the city’s Vykhino depot at the end of January.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) announced on January 10 that Sapsan high-speed trains carried 4.8 million passengers in 2016, 37.4% more than in 2015.

EVRAZ announced on December 20 that it has set up production of European 60 E1 100m-long raw or head-hardened rails.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) marked the launch of variable-gauge Talgo trains on Moscow – Berlin overnight services with an inauguration ceremony at Moscow Kursk station on December 17, which was attended by Russian transport minister Mr Maxim Sokolov, RZD president Mr Oleg Belozerov, and Talgo president Mr Carlos Oriol.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) announced on December 13 that it has agreed a contract with Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) to electrify the 495km Garmsar - Inche Burun line in northern Iran.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) confirmed that Federal Passenger Company will introduce variable-gauge Talgo trains on Moscow - Berlin overnight services on December 17, when journey times between the Russian and German capitals will be reduced by around four-and-a-half hours.

POLISH broad-gauge railway PKP LHS has signed a declaration of access to the Trans-Caspian international transport route (TCITR), which links China with Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine.