Vice Premier of Russia: The high-speed railway from Moscow to St. Petersburg will become the world's first railway with a speed of up to 400 km/h and a track gauge of 1,520 mm (broad gauge)

¬ Russian Railways: High-speed rail will increase Russia's freight volume by 80 million tons and save 3.5 trillion rubles

¬ Russian Railways Company: Robots cannot replace the genuine smile of train attendants

¬ Vice Premier of Russia: Russia plans to expand highways through Novosibirsk Oblast leading to China

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Sputnik News, St. Petersburg — During the International Logistics and Transportation Forum, Russian Vice Premier Vitaly Savelyev stated that the high-speed railway from Moscow to St. Petersburg will become the world’s first railway capable of reaching speeds up to 400 km/h with a track gauge of 1,520 mm.

Savelyev noted that the construction of the high-speed railway project is being implemented under unique climatic conditions.

He said that this high-speed railway will be the world’s first to achieve a maximum speed of 400 km/h with a track gauge of 1,520 mm.

In June 2025, Savelyev told Sputnik News that by 2045, Russia will have a high-speed rail network exceeding 4,500 kilometers in total length, operating nearly 300 high-speed trains. In addition to the Moscow–St. Petersburg line, high-speed railways are also planned for Yekaterinburg, Adler, Ryazan, and Minsk in Belarus.

The first International Logistics and Transportation Forum was held in St. Petersburg from April 1 to 3.

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Sputnik News, St. Petersburg — At the International Transport and Logistics Forum, Deputy CEO of Russian Railways Ivan Kolesnikov said that the construction of high-speed railways in Russia will increase freight capacity by approximately 80 million tons and save 3.5 trillion rubles by 2050.

Kolesnikov emphasized that by 2050, high-speed railways will boost freight capacity by about 80 million tons and save 3.5 trillion rubles.

According to Kolesnikov, once the Moscow–St. Petersburg high-speed railway becomes operational, it will add approximately 80 million tons of freight capacity to Russia and save 3.5 trillion rubles. After the St. Petersburg high-speed line begins operations, freight capacity on existing lines will increase by 30 million tons, the Moscow–Adler section by 20 million tons, the Moscow–Minsk route by 16 million tons, and the Moscow–Yekaterinburg segment by 15 million tons.

The first International Transport and Logistics Forum took place in St. Petersburg from April 1 to 3.

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Sputnik News, Moscow — Vladimir Piatstolov, General Director of Federal Passenger Company under Russian Railways, said in an interview with Sputnik News that robots cannot replace the genuine smile of train attendants, who create a warm and comfortable atmosphere during travel.

Piatstolov said ahead of the 2026 International Transport and Logistics Forum: "In the era of automation, we are developing digital services that enable automation of processes such as ticketing, food and merchandise ordering, and passenger notifications."

Piatstolov added that digital technologies help modern passenger train staff better fulfill their duties and allow them to dedicate more time to caring for passengers. For example, train attendants no longer need to complete paper-based reports—these have been replaced with electronic formats.

Piatstolov stressed: "However, thoughtful care for passengers cannot be automated. No machine can replicate the genuine smile of a train attendant or recreate the warm and comfortable atmosphere of a journey. Therefore, the company has no intention of replacing human train attendants with robots."

The first International Transport and Logistics Forum will take place in St. Petersburg from April 1 to 3, 2026.

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Sputnik News, Moscow — Russian Vice Premier Khusnulin said that the Russian government plans to expand the highway passing through Novosibirsk Oblast leading to China.

Husnulin stated that the expansion of the R256 highway is included in the six-year road development plan, which also includes the construction or reconstruction of 330 roads.

Husnulin said on the Russian messaging platform MAX that the Russian government intends to expand the R256 "Chuya Highway," which connects Novosibirsk to China via Mongolia.

The R256 "Chuya Road" passes through Mongolia and links Siberia and China as part of Asian Highway Route 4. This route starts in Novosibirsk, passes through Omsk, Mongolia’s Yalantau, China’s Ürümqi, Pakistan’s Islamabad, and ends in Karachi, Pakistan. Currently, the R256 highway has between 2 and 4 lanes, with a maximum speed limit of 90 km/h.

Russian Minister of Transport Nikitin told Sputnik News on March 30 that Russia and China plan to trial driverless trucks on the cross-border bridge connecting Blagoveshchensk and Heihe in 2026.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861317668974596/

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