Proposing the creation of a high speed rail connection from Moscow to the Belarussian capital Minsk (see BFG of today—ed.), the Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday proclaimed that the time has come to also implement the high-speed railroad (HSR) 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.
