The construction of a high-speed railway line between Moscow and Vladivostok is not planned, Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin said in an interview with TASS. According to him, it is more efficient to use air travel over such long distances — high-speed trains are only profitable on routes up to 1,500 km.
At the same time, the Ministry of Transport is considering possible high-speed routes between the country's eastern agglomerations, for example, between Khabarovsk and Vladivostok or Novosibirsk. These destinations could become an alternative to aviation for regional transportation and stimulate the development of local transport hubs.
Currently, the first high-speed railway line in Russia, Moscow — St. Petersburg, is being implemented. The project was commissioned by the President of Russia as part of the national project "Effective Transport System". The length of the line will be about 700 km, it will pass through six regions with a total population of about 30 million people.
It is expected that by 2030 the annual passenger traffic between Moscow and St. Petersburg will reach 23 million people. The design and construction of the highway is planned for 2024–2028, and commissioning is scheduled for 2028.
The launch of the Moscow — St. Petersburg line will be an important stage in the modernization of the Russian transport system, will provide high-speed and comfortable communication between the two largest cities in the country, and will create a technological platform for the possible expansion of high-speed transportation in other regions.
