Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Maksim Akimov, has announced that the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed rail line is estimated at RUB 1.5 trillion (USD 23.8 billion), local press reports.
Akimov said that estimation is based on Moscow-Kazan section, which has a similar length (of 800 km), and envisages the construction of new line, not extending the existing ones.
The preliminary technical and economic feasibility study is ongoing, and the Transport Ministry intends to release this summer the estimated cost of the new high-speed line.
It is expected that the construction of the new line will be launched in 2020.
At the beginning of this year, Akimov said that he supports the construction of the Moscow – St. Petersburg high-speed railway which will relieve the air traffic between the two cities and will reduce the emissions.
Initially, the Moscow-St. Petersburg should have been the first high speed rail connection in the country, but in 2013, the project was pun on hold. Now, Russia is preparing the Moscow-Kazan HSR which is expected to be completed in 2024.
Russian railways 2025 strategy includes the construction of the high-speed railway network which will allow trains to run at speeds of 350 km/h.
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