OREANDA-NEWS. August 3, 2007The opening ceremony of Russian Railways’ Centre of Innovation Development was attended by Sergey Ivanov, Russia’s first deputy prime minister, and Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways.
The Centre is located in the building of Riga Station and specializes in scientific and technical policy and progress in rail transport.

As part of the opening, the Centre put on an exhibition of advanced rail technologies reflecting the foremost scientific and technical solutions now used in rail transportation.

An 11,000 hp gas-turboelectric locomotive was on display for the first time. The gas-turboelectric locomotive has the power of three locomotives and has a gas-turbine engine, electric generator and traction electric motors. It was designed by companies working in the Russian aerospace sector.

The first gas-turboelectric locomotives will operate in the Urals and Russia’s north, where there are large reserves of natural gas.