OREANDA-NEWS. “On behalf of the more than one million colleagues at Russian Railways, I would like to congratulate all Russians on Sochi’s successful bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics”, - said Vladimir Yakunin, the President of Russian Railways. - This is unquestionable confirmation of the confidence and respect which the global community has in our country. Russian Railways will do everything that is necessary to ensure the development of rail infrastructure not only in and around Sochi, but also in and to Russia’s entire Southern Federal Region in order to ensure the highest standards of transportation for the Olympics athletes and guests”.

Russian Railways plans to participate in a tender to build a metro from Sochi to the Krasnaya Polyana.

At the moment, the Company is also studying a project for high-speed trains between Moscow and Adler.

“This year, Russian Railways will begin preparing the project and cost estimates and documentation to build intermodal transportation between Adler Station and Sochi Airport. The Company will invest 60,000,000 roubles in project development”, said Yakunin.

The new line will be over 2,9 km and connect the projected road junction at Krasnaya Polyana - Adler-Sochi with the proposed railway line to bring passengers from the platform at Sochi airport to the tourist accommodation in Krasnaya Polyana.

“Russian Railways plans to invest over 60 billion roubles in modernising the rail infrastructure in Russia’s Southern Federal Region between 2007 and 2009 as part of the programme”, said Vladimir Yakunin.

The programme provides for the construction of alternative routes, the equipment to be used on the sections, including automatic blocking systems, the modernization of rail automation and telecontrol, the reconstruction of tunnels and other works between Chertkovo - Rostov - Timashevskaya, Tuapse - Adler and Kotelnikovo - Tikhoretskaya - Krasnodar.

Since May 27, 2007, the travel time of branded train No. 101/102 Sochi between Adler and Moscow has been cut to 2 hours 44 minutes for increased passengers convenience. It is now possible to travel from Moscow to the health resorts of the Black Sea coast in just twenty-four hours by train.

The last three years have seen the reconstruction of the Bolshoi (Large), Medium (Average) and Maly (Small) loop tunnels on North-Caucasus Railways, as well as the construction of new alternative main routes between Likhaya and Zamchalovo. In addition, the electrified section between Mineralnye Vody and Kislovodsk has been converted to alternating current and the coast has been strengthened to improve train safety between Tuapse and Adler.

Russian Railways has thus invested over 30 billion rubles so far in the development of the region’s infrastructure. These projects have greatly improved transport services in the south of Russia.