India's San Engineering & Locomotives recently started assembling RTM-32 machine sets at the Indian production site of Russian Sinara Transport Machines (STM). The deal could lead to Indo-Russian cooperation in the railway sector.

In India, technical experts from Sinara Transport Machines Holding (STM, a part of the Sinara Group) have recently begun assembly of RTM-32 machines.

The STM staff will also supervise and guide the start-up and adjustment procedures after the equipment has been manufactured. SKD is being implemented within the framework of the state-sponsored program "Make in India," which assumes a localization level of at least 51%, according to a statement by STM.

The Russian Railways are a centuries old legacy of the Tsarist era and the Soviet Union and have a long history of cooperation with India. Russia Railways is among the world's largest railway companies, and it uses one of the world's largest railway networks. The Russian Railways transports the third largest amount of freight in the world, and several high-speed train projects are being developed between major cities.

Russian Railways launched a program in 2005–2010 to introduce new high-speed trains. Sapsan is the first train to start service in December 2009 and connects Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Nizhny Novgorod, running on Siemens trains.

Russia has the world's longest railway line. There is a railway network connecting western and eastern Russia called the Trans-Siberian Railway. The line stretches over 9,289 kilometres (5,772 miles), starting in Moscow and ending in Vladivostok, on the Pacific Ocean. Moscow and Vladivostok are directly connected by the Trans-Siberian Railway since 1916.

Expansion of the railway system continues as of 2021, with connecting rails going into Asia. There are also plans to connect Tokyo, the capital of Japan, to the railway via bridges between the mainland and the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido. India is expanding its presence in the Russian Far East as part of Act Far East Policy and has launched a trilateral involving Japan and Russia.

The Russian equipment will be used to create Work Site Tampers (WST, track renewal train). Construction, repair, and maintenance of railway tracks are performed with this type of track equipment. Additionally, they are suitable for working with wooden and reinforced concrete sleepers. The machine sets are assembled at one of the factory sites of San Engineering & Locomotive Co. Ltd. in Bangalore. STM is partnering with this company on the project.

The Indian railway sector is one of the key export destinations for STM Holding, according to Anton Zubikhin, Deputy General Director for Sales and General Director of STM Trading House.

“At the moment, our company is supplying equipment to its Indian partners worth 20 million euros. Moreover, I would like to note that signing of these contracts was a result of tough competition with the world leaders in the railway equipment manufacturing sphere, including producers from Austria and the United States. We are by no means going to slow down. On the contrary, it is our plan to take part in the next tenders for the supply of various equipment for a total amount of more than 200 million euros,” he informed.

In early 2021, two lots of machine sets were delivered to India. The Indian Railways will receive two ready-made WSTs before the end of the year for pilot operations.

STM also supplied 19 machine sets to India for the subsequent production of ballast regulating and levelling machines (BRM). This project is being implemented within the framework of the governmental program “Make in India”. The machines produced by STM that operate on the tracks in India include track renewal machines (WST), laying cranes and dynamic track stabilizers. Their comprehensive servicing is also provided by STM, according to the STM statement.

Image source: economic times