Russian president Vladimir Putin has directed the government to develop a roadmap for a national high-speed rail network by March 31, 2026. The plan will set timelines and key details for each project, starting with the Moscow–St. Petersburg line, Xinhua reported.
He also instructed the government and SberBank to outline how 300bn rubles (about $3.7bn) from the National Wealth Fund will be used to fund the route, with a report due by October 1.
The Moscow–St. Petersburg line will be Russia’s first high-speed rail, cutting travel time to 2 hours and 15 minutes. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov will lead the effort, according to Xinhua.
