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.
Andrei Nikitin: Let me also say a few words about inland waterway and maritime transport. Mr President, you issued a corresponding instruction in this area, and today river transport is developing steadily. At the same time, several projects are of key importance for the economy. These include the Bagayevsky and Gorodetsky hydraulic engineering complexes, whose construction is progressing in line with your instructions. We recently inaugurated the first phase of the Bagayevsky project together.
Of course, attention must also be paid to Siberia and the Far East, particularly to everything related to the northern delivery. From a commercial standpoint, these routes may not generate large cargo volumes, but we have a responsibility to ensure the delivery of food, fuel, and other essential goods to people in these regions.
Vladimir Putin: It is a vast distance – more than 12,000 kilometres.
Andrei Nikitin: When I looked into the issue, I found that since the 1990s, 93 ports have been closed, while only 95 remain in operation. In other words, nearly half of the ports have been closed. Responsibility for these facilities was transferred to the regions. As a result, in places where ports occupied central locations, developers emerged, and so on. One of the key challenges for expanding river cargo transportation today is the availability of port infrastructure, transshipment facilities, and rail connections.
We have already begun addressing these issues together with the regions. Three new ports have been built, and we intend to continue this work.
Vladimir Putin: Where have they been built?
Andrei Nikitin: In Tatarstan and Yakutia. These regions have the most proactive governors and sufficient cargo volumes.
Passenger transport is demonstrating remarkable growth. On your instructions and under the leadership of Vitaly Savelyev, the River Routes project was launched and continues to expand rapidly. Passenger traffic has been growing steadily year after year, reflecting strong public interest in this form of tourism.
While river passenger services are still largely associated with tourism, they are increasingly serving broader transportation needs. Moscow, for example, has launched a full-fledged river transport system and has even established its own shipyard. We are actively assisting these efforts.
Nor is this trend limited to Moscow. Meteor-class vessels are being built in Nizhny Novgorod, and a shipyard is operating in the Leningrad Region. As a result, the passenger river transport sector is currently developing even faster than freight transport.
Vladimir Putin: What is the average age of the passenger fleet today?
Andrei Nikitin: Taking into account the vessels currently in operation and undergoing modernisation, the average age is 38 years. However, this figure is expected to change soon. Moscow alone plans to introduce more than 40 new vessels, which will significantly rejuvenate the fleet. New cruise ships are also under construction.
Vladimir Putin: I assume the cruise fleet is even older?
Andrei Nikitin: Yes, although brand-new cruise vessels are now being built as well. Efforts in this area are underway. Passenger expectations are rising, tourists are becoming more demanding, and shipowners are investing heavily in the modernisation of their fleets.
Vladimir Putin: Good.
Andrei Nikitin: There are two other priorities I would like to highlight for the Ministry of Transport. The first is the monitoring of dredging operations. It is essential that dredging be carried out where it is genuinely needed. To achieve this, we plan to use unmanned and autonomous technologies to assess river conditions, identify priority areas, and establish targets. We intend to begin this work this year.
As for the second priority: I asked my colleagues a simple question: how do we currently know what cargo is being transported along our waterways? It turns out that at many locks, this information is still recorded manually in large logbooks based on what captains report. Clearly, it is impossible to accurately assess the economic performance of river transport using such methods. For this reason, we are moving toward the introduction of an electronic waybill system on rivers as well. A pilot project will be conducted this year, followed by full implementation next year. This will provide us with reliable data of the sector’s economic performance.
Vladimir Putin: As I understand it, this will also help determine the optimal distribution of cargo among different types of transport.
Andrei Nikitin: Absolutely. We will also see how government investment can be allocated most effectively.
In this regard, I would like to request your support for the preparation of a comprehensive concept for the future development of water transport. We believe this concept should be built around several key principles: first, investment decisions should be guided by actual cargo and passenger flows. Second, there must be a clear division of responsibilities between the federal and regional authorities, allowing regions to take the lead, while ensuring federal support and oversight in important areas. Third, attention must be given to operational reliability, safety, and the fulfilment of critical national tasks, including the northern supply.
We plan to begin this work this year and submit the resulting proposals to the State Council in 2027.
Vladimir Putin: Very well.
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