The first Russian railway wheels for speeds up to 400 km/h have begun to be supplied for the outfitting of domestic high-speed electric trains. A pilot batch of 2,000 products was manufactured by OMK (United Metallurgical Company) for the first trains that will operate on the future Moscow — St. Petersburg high-speed railway.

The new product has become one of the key elements of the Russian high-speed rail project. The wheels are designed for operation under increased loads, where maximum manufacturing precision, high metal strength, and stability of characteristics at high speeds are required.

According to the company, the transition to serial production will be carried out after a controlled operation phase, during which specialists will evaluate the performance of the wheels in real conditions.

The development was carried out by OMK specialists jointly with the Engineering Center for Railway Transport and the All-Russian Research Institute of Railway Transport (VNIIZhT). The design took into account the safety requirements for high-speed railway transport and current industry standards.

The technical characteristics of the wheels were confirmed during a multi-stage production preparation procedure. The products also passed verification for compliance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union for the safety of high-speed railway transport.