Russian Railways will cancel the St. Petersburg to Nizhny Novgorod high-speed Sapsan route in November primarily due to weak passenger demand, Kommersant reported, citing sources within the company.
Only 8 percent of passengers arriving in Moscow from St. Petersburg continued to Nizhny Novgorod. “In practice, the entire train emptied in Moscow,” an anonymous source said, Kommersant reported.
High passenger turnover also meant that crews had to clean nearly the entire train in 15 minutes. Furthermore, Russian Railways would have had to build an additional platform and disrupt dozens of other trains to inspect passengers arriving simultaneously from opposite directions. The company has promised to launch more trips between Moscow and each city.
Russian Railways may also receive some 7.5 billion rubles ($238.6 million) to complete a rail link to the oil terminal at the port of Primorsk in the Leningrad region.
The money would come from some 29 billion rubles of federal budget money earmarked for the development of rail infrastructure in 2012, Kommersant reported. The new rail line, which port shareholders Transneft and Summa have been lobbying for some years, should carry up to 20 million tons of oil products a year.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
