中文
Russia is planning to build at least two new railways to China as part of a push to boost trade with its eastern neighbor, according to a government document seen by Sxcoal.
The project, which would require huge investment, is contained in the development strategy for Russia's Siberian Federal District by 2035. The feasibility and costs of the project have yet to be assessed.
Experts said the new routes could be on the same scale as the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railway, built in the Soviet era. But it was important to understand the economic rationale - which goods could be transported profitably by rail, such as Russian coal and Chinese containers.
"The construction of any railway will have a positive impact on the national economy if several conditions are met," said Mikhail Blinkin, director of the Institute for Transport Economics and Transport Policy Studies.
Crucially, Blinkin said, the railway needs to carry more valuable cargoes than just coal. He noted China's demand potential was huge for a range of goods from oil products to grains and metals, while its coal independence would be descending over time.
The first route would run from Nishnevartovsk and connect with the existing rail network at Tomsk before continuing to the Chinese city of Urumqi.
The second route would pass through the Tuva region and continue into Mongolia before reaching China. One branch would lead to the Chinese border at Takeshiken and on to Urumqi, while another branch would reach the Erenhot border crossing and then Beijing.
The Transport and Economic Development ministries, along with Russian Railways, have been tasked with preparing feasibility studies for the project by 2025.
The scale of the new railways would be comparable to the BAM railway constructed over 4,200 km (2,600 miles) and 45 years from the 1930s.
The costs are unknown at this stage but the BAM railway was one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in Russian history, costing 177 billion rubles in 1991 prices.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Emma Yang)
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