PRESS: Russian government mulls reform of passenger rail traffic

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (PRIME) -- The Russian government has started discussing a reform of passenger rail transportation, Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday.

A draft program encompasses modernization of the passenger service system and optimization of routes in 2017–2019 and attraction of investments in 2020–2030. It suggests saving traffic on a distance of over 3,000 kilometers only from hard-to-reach areas and on image routes such as from Moscow to Beijing or to Vladivostok.

The volume of traffic on a distance of up to 2,000 kilometers should significantly decrease by 2025 due to development of budget air traffic, while traffic between large cities on a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers should on the contrary grow.

The share of the Federal Passenger Company on a long-distance traffic will fall to 70% by 2030, and the company’s partial privatization is possible.

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