Russia’s federal government has set aside RUB 6 billion (€81.2 million) in 2015 to design its planned high-speed railway between Moscow and Kazan.
Russian Railways (RZD) is planning to issue a tender in 2015 to select a partner to conduct surveying and project design work for the 770-kilometre Russian-gauge railway.
The route, which is expected to have a line speed of up to 400 km/h, will link Moscow, Nizhny, Novgorod and Kazan. In the future, the Russian government hopes the line will form part of a new high-speed rail corridor between Moscow, Astana, Kazakhstan, and Beijing, China.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said: “As a result of this project, travel time between Moscow and Kazan could be reduced by a factor of four.
“Foreign investors, including our Chinese partners, are showing great interest in the project. The task now is promptly to carry out the engineering surveys and develop the project documentation in order to decide the project’s financing model.”
RZD has estimated that 7.5 million passengers will use the line every day. The project is being financed through a public-private partnership (PPP).
