RUSSIA: St Petersburg metro operator Petersburg Metropoliten has signed a 25-year agreement for the lease of 950 metro cars from the Transholdleasing subsidiary of rolling stock manufacturer TMH.
The agreement signed on August 26 is valued at 242·6bn roubles. The six and eight-car sets comprising Type 81-725.1 driving, 81-726.1 motor and 81-727.1 trailer metro cars from the manufacturer’s Smart family are to be produced at TMH’s Oktyabrsky Electric Car Repair Plant in the city for delivery in 2022-31.
More than 95% of the components will be produced by domestic companies, including silicon carbide converters from Key Systems & Components Group.
The trains will have stainless steel bodies and asynchronous traction equipment. According to TMH, they will be 30% more energy efficient than older designs, partially because of the use of an electrodynamic braking system. They will be equipped with the batteries to enable up to 200 m of autonomous running within depots.
The first trainset is scheduled be delivered for dynamic testing in September, and further seven are to arrive by the end of the year.
