Moscow, Aug 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday announced a sweeping plan to expand the country's railway network, including major projects in the Arctic, as part of a broader effort to strengthen Russia's position as a key logistics hub across Eurasia.
Speaking in a video address marking Railway Workers' Day, Putin said Russia's railway sector is undergoing significant development.
"There are plans to lay new routes and upgrade existing ones in northern Arctic territories, including the Komi Republic and the Yamal region," Putin said, noting that the projects are strategically important not only for improving domestic connectivity but also for bolstering Russia's role in global supply chains.
"These efforts will reinforce Russia's status as a major logistical link across the entire Eurasian continent and create new opportunities for globally competitive transport corridors, including the Trans-Arctic corridor," he said.
Putin also highlighted plans to build a high-speed rail line between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Set to launch by 2028, the project is expected to cut travel time between the two cities to just 2 hours and 15 minutes, reports Xinhua news agency.
"This will be the country's first high-speed rail line, to be followed by an entire network of such routes," Putin said, expressing confidence that the projects will meet the growing transportation needs of both Russian citizens and the national economy.
Earlier, on July 31, Putin instructed the government to develop a roadmap for building Russia's high-speed rail network by March 31, 2026, according to directives published on the Kremlin's website.
"The Government of the Russian Federation, together with Russian Railways, the open joint-stock company, shall formulate a development model for Russia's high-speed rail network. This includes specific timelines and parameters for implementing each project to create high-speed rail lines," the website said.
Putin also ordered the government and SberBank, Russia's largest lender, to outline plans for utilising 300 billion rubles (about 3.7 billion US dollars) allocated from the National Wealth Fund as initial funding for the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed rail line. A report on the funding is due by October 1.
The Moscow-St. Petersburg route will be Russia's first high-speed railroad, a specialised electrified double-track line on which trains can travel at speeds from 200 to 400 kph. Trains are expected to cover the distance between the two cities in two hours and 15 minutes.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov have been appointed as the responsible parties.
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