OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2011. Ukrainian and Russian railways will establish a high-speed train connection between Kyiv and Moscow, and later to connect Moscow also with large cities in the eastern part of Ukraine. These questions have been discussed today at a meeting of the Vice Prime Minister – the Minister of infrastructure Borys Kolesnikov and the president of "Russian Railway" corporation Vladimir Yakunin.

At a meeting the most important issues of bilateral cooperation have been discussed, in particular – implementation of a high-speed passenger railway traffic in direction Kyiv-Moscow, a non-stop cargo transit in direction Moscow-the Caucasus through the territory of Ukraine, building of a railway Kosice-Bratislava-Vienna with a track width of 1520 mm. "The direction Moscow-Vienna is the main point both for the soviet space and for the contemporary cargo transporters. Going on in this line is one of our main priorities," said the Vice Prime Minister. 

"Not only our countries but also our roads are connected by a hundreds year old history, it teaches us a lot," Borys Kolesnikov said and observed that he were waiting for concrete results that would make the life easier for passengers from both countries in a maximum way. "Any agreements should be of mutual benefit, only then are they quick and realistic," he emphasized.

"The most crucial issue is passenger traffic between our countries and cities, - said Borys Kolesnykov. – We are very close to realization of high-speed railway traffic between Kyiv and Moscow and have discussed the perspectives of such traffic between the large cities in Ukrainian East and Moscow: Kharkiv and Moscow, Donetsk and Moscow".

Ukrainian and Russian railway workers are now distributing passenger and cargo traffic, because in the process of division of passenger and cargo transport corridors it is especially important to make them harmonic for both systems. Next stage is a maximum simplification and acceleration of passport and customs control on the trains.  According to the Vice Prime Minister in the first quarter of the current year the starting date of the new high-speed route will be determined, as well as the trip duration and its price. "I think that optimal maximum time should be 5 hours", he said.

The president of "Russian Railway" corporation Vladimir Yakunin observed that the further development of a cooperation with "Ukrzaliznytsya" were extremely important for the Russian railways. "Our relations with Ukrainian railway have always been marked both by friendliness and pragmatic approach. A railway functions in such a way that it is impossible to achieve success in cooperation with a neighbor when the interests of the neighbor have not been taken into account. Those goals that have been formulated today by the Vice Prime Minister in the field of high-speed traffic development and applying the most sophisticated systems meet our greatest interest", he said.

Vladimir Yakunin accentuated that political support of the Government were the reason for corporation "Russian Railways" to formulate its real commercial and business plans.

To remind – at the end of December 2010 a contract for receiving 10 new interregional electro-trains in 9 carriage configuration was signed with Hyundai Corporation to implement a high-speed railway traffic in Ukraine.

Due to tis investment project the two-system interregional electro-trains will be implemented in Ukraine that will transport passengers in comfortable carriages at a speed of 160 km per hour. It is the first step on the way to implementation of a high-speed passenger transportations in Ukraine.

According to the contract six electro-trains will be delivered before the EURO-2012З, and the rest four – in 2012.As the Vice Prime Minister – the Minister of infrastructure Borys Kolesnikov repeatedly accentuated, the first six trains would allow to organize a high-speed traffic between Kyiv, Donetsk,Kharkiv and L’viv. For example, it would take 3,5 hours to get from the capital to Kharkiv, 4,5 hours to get to L’viv and 5,5 to 6 to Donetsk.