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Russian Railways and Austrian Federal Railways sign supplement to agreement on cooperation

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Oleg Belozerov, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways, and Andreas Matte, the Managing Director of Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB - Austrian Federal Railways), have approved a supplement to the 2011 cooperation agreement between the two companies.

The corresponding document was signed in the presence of Maxim Sokolov, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, and Norbert Hofer, Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Austria.

The signing took place at a ceremony held during the International Railway Business Forum "Strategic Partnership 1520: Central Europe" in Vienna on 21 February 2018.

The parties agreed to explore the possibilities for attracting additional freight flows to rail transport and improving operational and information systems, as well as developing joint passenger traffic and cooperation on the markets of third countries.

"Austrian Federal Railways is one of the leading partners of Russian Railways in Europe. The agreement signed today provides a good basis for further joint work in the development of infrastructure, passenger and freight transportation, innovative technologies, and human resources," said Oleg Belozerov.

"Close cooperation in the international arena is absolutely necessary today to improve the efficiency of rail transport and its attractiveness in the future in comparison with other modes of transport," stressed Andreas Matte.

The agreement provides for continued cooperation in the implementation of the project to build a broad-gauge railway to Vienna within the framework of the joint venture Breitspur Planungsgesellschaft mbH and taking into account the results of the earlier feasibility study.

The signed document also envisages cooperation in the field of innovative technologies.

In September 2012, OJSC Russian Railways and ÖBB signed a memorandum on joint actions to develop human resources. The agreement concluded today consolidates the intentions of Russian Railways and ÖBB to cooperate in this area by means of joint events, including the organisation of business and study visits, seminars, internships and refresher courses etc.

The Forum also included the signing of memoranda on cooperation between the JSC United Transport and Logistics Company (UTLC) and the Public Joint Stock Company TransContainer with the Austrian company Rail Cargo Austria AG.