The contract, worth $164 million, also includes an option for two additional trains.
The customer, Oy Karelian Trains, is a joint venture between Russian Railways (RZD) and Finnish Railways (VR), and was created in 2006 for the purpose of purchasing high-speed trains for the St. Petersburg-Helsinki route.
Delivery of the trains, which will make the journey in three hours, is planned for 2009, and the service is scheduled to begin in 2010.
Currently, the fastest service on the St. Petersburg-Helsinki route covers the 632-kilometer (392-mile) distance between the two cities in five and a half hours.
The trains will consist of seven cars, with a total seating capacity of 352, including a business class section. Customs and passport checks will be carried out on board, said an Alstom press release.
