Russia has given the green light for its first high-speed passenger railway, slashing travel time between Moscow and St. Petersburg by more than half.
The state budget is set to pour billions into this 679-kilometer (421 mile) rail project, with construction by VSM Two Capitals, a Russian company. The estimated cost of this lightning-fast railway is a whopping 2.3 trillion rubles, equivalent to $25.97 billion.
This new train can carry up to 460 passengers, departing every 10-15 minutes. Vitaly Savelyev mentions that the journey time shrinks from 5 hours and 35 minutes to just two hours and fifteen minutes.
Before the Soviet Union dissolved and Boris Yeltsin took the helm, discussions had kicked off for a high-speed rail link between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Although Boris Yeltsin initiated the project in 1991, it got shelved in 1998, only to be resurrected now.
Savelyev referred to this railway as “the century-long project for Russia,” marking a significant leap in technological autonomy. According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, this initiative will bring new capabilities in railroad construction and mechanical engineering, enhancing citizens’ quality of life and mobility.
Russian Railways predicts the Moscow-St. Petersburg line will rake in 23 million passengers yearly by 2030.
President Vladimir Putin envisions this project as the precursor to a broader high-speed rail network in Russia.
Future plans include extending the high-speed rail network to other cities like Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan.