OREANDA-NEWS. On May 24, 2007 Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, made the announcement in Sochi: “Only Alstom put in a bid during the last stage of the tender, and we conducted negotiations with them,” said Yakunin. “We plan to buy 3-4 trains for this route”, reported the press-centre of  Russian Railways.

Five companies took part in the tender: ALSTOM, SIEMENS, BOMBARDIER, TALGO and CAF. The main criteria were that the motorised coaches had to be developed, assembled and tested in the required configuration in accordance with European standards and meet modern demands for speed, safety and comfort.

Fast electric trains between St. Petersburg and Helsinki should begin operating in 4Q2008, reducing the travel time to just 3-3,5 hours compared to the current item of 5,5 hours. The journey time in Russia itself will fall to 2 hours, 27 minutes.

The shorter travel time will be achieved by modernising infrastructure, purchasing new fast trains and completing border and customs procedures while the train is in motion.

It is planned to operate 4 pairs of express trains per day between St. Petersburg and Helsinki by 2010. Tickets are expected to cost: EURO 110 in 1st- class and EUR 69,42 in 2nd-class.
 
High-speed passenger trains will be purchased using dual-system electric engines with tilting carriages capable of a maximum speed of 220 kph.

Each train will be capable of carrying 300 passengers and will consist of 7 coaches: 1 coach for business-class passengers, 5 coaches for 2nd-class passengers and a restaurant car with a separate room for smokers.

At present, two trains ply between St. Petersburg and Helsinki: the Russian express “Repin” and the Finnish express “Sibelius”, which leaves St. Petersburg from Ladozhsk station daily for Helsinki via Vyborg and Vainikala. A 1st- class ticket costs EUR 89,1, 2nd-class EUR 50,8.