Alstom and Transmashholding have signed a contract to develop and produce the new 2ES5 electric locomotive in Russia. This contract defines the terms and conditions under which the two partners will be working together to fulfil the order that Russian Railways (RZD) placed with Transmashholding in June 2011. This order relates to the supply of 200 freight locomotives and is worth a total of approximately €1 billion. Alstom’s share of this contract is €400 million. The first deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2012.

Alstom and Transmashholding have entered into a global partnership, with Alstom acquiring a 25% stake in the parent company of TMH. This partnership has already resulted in the design and production of another locomotive - the EP20 passenger locomotive. It was presented to RDZ at the Expo1520 rail show at the beginning of September.

Like the EP20, the 2ES5 will be designed by TRtrans, a joint venture engineering company that Alstom and Transmashholding set up in December 2010. The 2ES5’s key components (such as the bogies and motor block) will be manufactured by a second joint venture company, Railcomp. The creation of this company is in progress. Design and production of the 2ES5 will be carried out at Transmashholding’s Novocherkassk site in southern Russia.

The 2ES5 is an asynchronous double-bogie freight locomotive for main lines. It will run at speeds of up to 120 km/h with total output of 7600 kW - which is what is required in order to pull freight convoys that can sometimes weigh more than 6000 t over distances of up to 3000 km.

In order to withstand extreme temperatures, which can sometimes fall to as low as -50°C in Russia, it will be “winterised”. Transmashholding has drawn on its wide experience and will use materials capable of withstanding intense cold in its design. The steel and the strength it offers, the choice of cables, the various types of rubber and the oils used will all be specially adapted for use in extreme conditions. And pre-heating systems will be incorporated into all the sensitive pieces of equipment, such as the electronic components.

City.Mobi

Also in Russia today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Moscow.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Moscow.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.