High train speeds on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg route over distances of up to 1,000 kilometers make them a viable alternative to air travel, the General Director of the Institute for Transport Economics and Development (IEDT), Sergey Rumyantsev, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

“The key advantage is that trains travel from city center to city center, saving time on travel to airports and check-in,” he explained. “Railways are also minimally dependent on weather conditions, ensuring high regularity and predictability of movement. A single high-speed train can carry 500 to 900 passengers. This makes it possible to transport large flows of people without congestion.”

Sergey Rumyantsev also noted that as part of the implementation of the first high-speed rail (HSR) line between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the development of the Russian Train Control and Safety System (RTCSS) with fully domestic software is nearing completion.

“The key advantage of HSR for our country is the creation of cutting-edge technologies that transform the very approach to railway transport,” emphasized the IEDT General Director. “The project implements world-class solutions—from high-precision rails and innovative ballastless track slabs to digital traffic control systems and energy-efficient aluminum-bodied trains. A fundamentally new technological environment is being created, integrating achievements in Russian mechanical engineering, materials science, energy, and IT. This is the formation of an engineering school for the future, where Russia emerges as the developer of unique transport technologies.”

The full text of the news can be found on the Rossiyskaya Gazeta website.

Photo: RIA Novosti