Putin Proposes Three New High Speed Rail Corridors

Aug. 18, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—Proposing the creation of a high-speed rail connection from Moscow to the Belarussian capital Minsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday proclaimed that the time has come to also implement the high-speed railroad between Moscow and St. Petersburg. He made his remarks at the launch ceremony of the third Moscow Central Diameter (MCD) suburban railroad.

“We (have been) discussing the project of the high-speed railroad between Moscow and St. Petersburg for a long time... It seems to me we have indeed approached now the possibility for its implementation,” Putin said. The currently operating line will become free, upon construction of a new passenger line, and it could be used to carry goods, Putin said. “The speed of freight movement will grow materially, which is critical for the national economy at large,” he stressed.

Furthermore, Russia should expand its high-speed railway services, and the prospects are good for developing a network that links Donbass with Moscow and the south of the country, Putin said at the same event. If a high-speed line were built between Moscow and the Black Sea city of Sochi, Putin noted it would significantly reduce travel times and make a big difference for people heading to southern Russian resorts.

“We must surely think about linking both Lugansk and Donetsk to it,” the Russian leader added. Putin also said he believes a broader high-speed train network would provide a boost for Russia’s economy and development.

“It would be much easier to study, work or do any other business” if travel times were cut, Putin said. The massive construction project would also encourage development in the Russian IT, engineering technology, and metallurgy fields, he said. Russia has already made significant investment in what it calls the “new regions,” the four former Ukrainian territories that joined the Russian Federation in autumn 2022 in a series of referendums.