Russia To Build The World’s Longest High-Speed Train

RUSSIA is set to build the world’s longest high speed train that will take passengers from Moscow to Beijing in just 48 hours, a route that currently takes seven days to complete on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Reported in the Business Insider, the journey will span across 7000 kilometres, a distance that is three times further than the world’s current longest high speed railway — the Beijing to Guangzhou route — and estimated to cost around $212 billion.
Business Insider reports that the Romanian website Glasul says the Kremlin awarded the building of the huge project to China Railway High-speed (CRH), a subsidiary of the state-controlled China Railway (CR). They will work with the local firm Uralvagonzavod after deciding to drop the French company, Alstom, from the project, one of the world’s leading high speed train manufacturers.
The highly anticipated line is said to be an important project for the Russian and Chinese governments whose political relationship dates back to the Soviet era and whose prime ministers have discussed in recent bilateral meetings.
It is also reported to benefit other manufacturing companies including German car makers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes who see advantages in quicker delivery of their vehicles from China to Europe.
There are no reports as to when construction is set to begin.