RUSSIA: Rolling stock and armoured fighting vehicle manufacturer Uralvagonzavod has signed a letter of intent with Bombardier to establish a joint venture to build trams in Yekaterinburg. Uralvagonzavod would assemble articulated cars with a floor height 350 mm above rail and a capacity for up to 210 passengers.
Group subsidiary Uraltransmash already builds trams for the Russian market, including some bogie cars with a low-floor section. The company is now planning to develop battery-powered trams, equipped with lithium-ion batteries that are expected to last for 13 years and more than 600 000 km of operation.
