MOSCOW, Aug 1– Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to develop a roadmap for building Russia’s high-speed rail network by March 31, 2026, according to directives published on the Kremlin’s website Thursday. “The Government of the Russian Federation, together with Russian Railways, the open joint-stock company, shall formulate a development model for Russia’s high-speed rail network. This includes specific timelines and parameters for implementing each project to create high-speed rail lines,” the website said. Putin also ordered the government and SberBank, Russia’s largest lender, to outline plans for utilizing 300 billion rubles (about 3.7 billion U.S. dollars) allocated from the National Wealth Fund as initial funding for the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed rail line. A report on the funding is due by Oct. 1. The Moscow-St. Petersburg route will be Russia’s first high-speed railroad, a specialized electrified double-track line on which trains can travel at speeds from 200 to 400 kph. Trains are expected to cover the distance between the two cities in two hours and 15 minutes. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov have been appointed as the responsible parties.
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