RUSSIA: Russian Railways has signed a contract with Ural Locomotives for the supply of two pre-series high speed trainsets to operate its planned Moscow – St Petersburg high speed line.
RZD is making a further attempt to develop a new line between its two most strategically important cities. Numerous attempts have been made over the past few decades to provide relief for the existing 1 520 mm gauge main line between Moscow and St Petersburg, which is heavily used by local and inter-city trains, while freight traffic is often required to take long and cost-inefficient diversionary routes.
The latest project was formally launched on March 14 with a foundation stone laying ceremony attended by President Vladimir Putin via video link. The route would be 679 km long with 14 intermediate stations or loops. The plan envisages that the line would carry up to 42 trains each way per day between the two cities, offering a journey time of 2 h 15 min and carrying up to 14 million passengers per annum.
The pre-series trains with a combined value of 12bn roubles are due for delivery by the end of March 2028. RZD remains responsible for the design documentation, which is now being developed at its Railway Engineering Centre. It reports that the preliminary design has been completed and key decisions on construction of the trains have already been taken. Each train will consist of eight cars with four classes of accommodation, and two sets could run in multiple. The maximum operating speed would be 360 km/h, with a design speed of up to 400 km/h.
Total cost of the high speed project is currently estimated at 2·12tr roubles.
Amid reports that construction of the line has started, Railway Gazette International understands that final design of the route has not yet been completed, and much of the work to date has focused on the administrative measures required as a precursor to any civil works.
