Putin, Ulaştırma Bakanı Nikitin ile Yüksek Hızlı Demiryolu Projesini Ele Aldı

Meeting with Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Nikitin, you oversee a very large and complex sector, and there are many issues to discuss. Let us begin with the high-speed mainline project. How is the work progressing? Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin: Mr Putin, thank you for this very important question. At present, work is underway across all sectors of the project. The train itself is under construction. Today, we have already completed the welding of almost the first five carriages of the high-speed train. For the first time in the world, welding has been carried out on a 980-millimetre section. At speeds of 400 kilometres per hour, we are dealing with an entirely different level of physics, which means completely different requirements in terms of safety, tolerances, and engineering standards. This work is proceeding fully on schedule in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. Importantly, 150 companies are participating in the industrial cooperation chain for the train. The two key elements in the interaction between the train and the wheel–rail system are the wheelsets and the traction drive. Both have been developed and manufactured in Russia. They are currently undergoing successful testing and are being prepared for certification. In other words, the most critical engineering challenges facing the developers are being successfully addressed. Construction of engineering structures is actively progressing along the entire route. Perhaps the largest of these is the eight-kilometre bridge across the Shosha River. Work there is proceeding at full speed, with the bridge supports already under construction. One of the more sensitive aspects of the project involves crossings over existing infrastructure: railways, motorways, gas pipelines, and power transmission lines. Work in these areas is also advancing steadily. For example, construction at the crossing over the M-11 Neva Motorway is already in an active phase. A unique project involving reinforced-concrete beams weighing 700 tonnes is also underway. Production has begun at a dedicated facility, one of ten such plants planned for the project. These beams will form the foundation of the entire structure. The first two have already been cast and are undergoing testing, while the third one is currently being poured. By the time the supports are completed, these beams will be ready for installation. Where the line passes over unstable ground without elevated structures, pile foundations are essential. As you know, the soils in the Moscow, Tver, and Novgorod regions are particularly challenging, with numerous wetlands. Consequently, the pile fields have largely already been driven, and this work is being carried out efficiently. Given the high operating speeds, we are also constructing viaducts and overpasses to minimise gradients and ensure the smoothest possible alignment, with as few curves and deviations as possible. Vladimir Putin: Who is responsible for monitoring quality? Andrei Nikitin: First, quality control is carried out by the concessionaires acting on behalf of the customer. They have engaged a specialised company for this purpose. Rostekhnadzor is also conducting oversight on site. And of course, Russian Railways, as the general contractor, is closely involved. Accordingly, all work is subject to exceptionally rigorous supervision. I would also like to express my gratitude to our colleagues from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. We have established an advanced engineering school – the High-Speed Rail Academy – which is helping us train the required specialists. Mr Putin, the task you have set is extremely important. This is a landmark engineering and technological project, and we cannot allow the momentum to be lost. Following your instructions, we have also examined potential future directions for the development of the high-speed rail network. We assessed these options based on reductions in travel time, projected passenger traffic, investment requirements, and, most importantly, their contribution to gross domestic product. That is, which routes are most effective. Among the proposed routes within Russia, the most effective is the Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod section with further extension to Kazan. It offers the greatest economic impact and overall benefit. The second most promising project is the international Moscow–Minsk route, followed by the other proposed corridors. Therefore, with your permission, we would like to begin preliminary work on these projects. I will submit the corresponding proposal. Vladimir Putin: Of course. Andrei Nikitin: It would be desirable for us to make a decision on these projects by 2028–2029, finalise the financial model, and move on to implementation. Vladimir Putin: As for the Moscow–Minsk project, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and I have discussed it repeatedly. The President of Belarus supports the initiative, so there should be no administrative difficulties. Andrei Nikitin: Mr Putin, with your approval, we would like to involve the Eurasian Development Bank from the outset and develop the project jointly as an international undertaking. We will work on this together with Oleg Belozerov under the supervision of Vitaly Savelyev. Vladimir Putin: Good. To be continued.