Interfax cited Mr Valentin Gapanovich the rail monopoly's senior VP as saying that directors at Russian Railways will discuss adjustments to the 2009 budget and 2010 investment program at a meeting on Friday.

Mr Gapanovich said "Amendments to the 2009 budget, including where this concerns the acquisition of rolling stock, will not be extensive. We'll be increasing the 2010 figures, if these are approved. Not much, but the investment program will be bigger than in 2009, including for rolling stock."

Mr Gapanovich said rolling stock purchases might be increased by 15 units in 2010. The total amounts to RUB 1.2 billion. He said that "We had three options for the investment program, positive, negative and optimistic. It looks like ultimately we will be closer to the optimistic, noting that the positive option called for investment totaling RUB 252 billion.”

He added that Federal Passenger Company has been formed as a separate company, it will decide on purchases particularly from Tver Carriage Plant.

As for the 2010 investment program, the maximal size of the investment program has been proposed. The money might be allocated to maintain infrastructure and to increase orders from transportation equipment makers.

(Sourced from Interfax)