IRJ at Strategic Partnership 1520: RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) plans to build a dedicated high-speed line from Moscow to St Petersburg in time for the 2018 soccer World Cup have been postponed.

IRJ at Strategic Partnership 1520: RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) expects to issue a feasibility study for the proposed 1520mm-gauge line to Vienna by the end of this year.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has begun testing the first of 38 Siemens Desiro Rus emus ordered by Russian Railways for expanded rail services in the Sochi region during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games in 2014.

Russian private freight operator Globaltrans' purchase of the railway assets of mining company Metalloinvest reflects the increasing liberalisation of the Russian freight market, as chairman Alexander Eliseev (pictured) explains to Kevin Smith.

BEARING manufacturer SKF has opened a new railway test centre in Russia at its Tver railway bearing factory near Moscow.

MORE than Roubles 7bn ($US 240.3m) is to be invested this year by Russian Railways (RZD) to modernise stations in the Moscow area. Of this, Roubles 4.3bn will be spent on Moscow's main stations.

RUSSIA's prime minister, Mr Vladimir Putin, together with the president of Russia's ICT Group, Mr Alexander Nesis, officiated at the opening of a 250,00m2 freight wagon factory in Tikhvin.