DURING the current year Russian Railways is to invest 12·7bn roubles in its passenger services, including 4·1bn roubles for improvements to stations and 1·7bn on capital repairs of buildings. In the first quarter, 1·7bn roubles has been spent on purchasing carriages, and 433m roubles on the refurbishment of existing stock.

Figures presented to the RZD board in April show that 2·3bn roubles was invested in passenger services last year, 98·7% of the budgeted amount. During the year 42 railway stations were built or reconstructed at a total cost of 1·2bn roubles, and 85m roubles was spent on passenger information systems. Carriage painting equipment was improved at a cost of 114m roubles.

Last year RZD spent 2·1bn roubles buying new coaches, and a further 2·9bn roubles on leased vehicles. In total, 443 new coaches entered service last year. Of these, 151 were paid for by the railway using its own funding, 245 were obtained using lease agreements, and 47 were supplied under leasing deals signed in 2002.

  • Russian Railways President Gennady Fadeyev signed a decree on April 13 establishing a Central Commission for Control of the implementation of passenger and suburban traffic timetables, aiming to improve service reliability.

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