RUSSIA: Vagonmash transferred the first three of its NeVa series cars to the St Petersburg metro on March 25. A further three will be delivered in the next few months to complete a six-car trainset which will undergo compliance tests.
The NeVa is the result of a collaboration agreement signed with Skoda Transportation on November 4 2007. It includes three vehicle types: a motor car with driver’s cab; a non-driving motor car; and a trailer car. A prototype was shown to local officials on July 10 2009 and presented to the public in September that year.
According to Vagonmash, the objective of the NeVa project is ‘to create highly efficient and highly profitable production of new generation subway cars’. The lightweight fourth generation cars are designed to maximise energy efficiency, increase service life and reduce maintenance costs.
Series production will take place in a new facility being built at the Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory site in St Petersburg, which is due for completion in 2012. The factory and prototype six-car trainset represent an investment of 3bn roubles. NeVa is targeted at markets in Russia and the CIS, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
