According to Denis Muratov, General Director of Skorostnie Magistrali (High Speed Railways), a competition will be announced before the end of 2011 for the early 2012 selection of contractors to prepare the construction site for a high speed Moscow – St. Petersburg rail line.
According to experts’ estimates, the expense for preparing the territory will total 50.6 billion rubles, including the costs of purchasing land for the construction of the high speed railway, and work removing communication and transport structures.
Before the end of August 2012, the Russian Government will consider and approve the tender for a second project – for the construction of a high speed Moscow – St. Petersburg railway line.
Today five applicants are known to be participating in the contest. These companies are ‘world leaders in high speed rail construction, and are located in France, Germany, China, Spain and South Korea’.
The total cost of the federal construction project high speed Moscow – St. Petersburg line is expected to be 696.2 billion rubles in 2010 prices (excluding VAT).
This includes the cost of preparing the construction site (50.6 billion rubles), the cost of the design and engineering survey (18.1 billion rubles) and construction costs (627.5 billion rubles).
