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China, Russia mull high-speed Moscow-Beijing rail line: Reports

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India must also consider linking Delhi with Moscow with bullet trains. India cannot fall behind on this. Russia and India are natural allies and friends. Under Modi-ji's leadership, I have no doubt India can quickly develop and build bullet trains to link Moscow with Delhi by 2020!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...g-rail-line-reports/articleshow/44858194.cmsa

China, Russia mull high-speed Moscow-Beijing rail line: Reports
BEIJING: China and Russia are considering building a high-speed rail line thousands of kilometres from Moscow to Beijing that would cut the journey time from six days on the celebrated Trans-Siberian to two, Chinese media reported today.

The project would cost more than $ 230 billion and be over 7,000 kilometres long, the Beijing Times reported -- more than three times the world's current longest high-speed line, from the Chinese capital to the southern city of Guangzhou.

The railway would be a powerful physical symbol of the ties that bind Moscow and Beijing, whose political relationship has roots dating from the Soviet era and who often vote together on the UN Security Council.

They have strengthened their relationship as Western criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin mounts over Ukraine and other issues.

The two signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this week during Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Moscow in which Beijing expressed interest in building a fast rail link between the Russian capital and Kazan in the oil-rich Tatarstan region, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

The 803-kilometre line would be the first stage of the route to Beijing, CCTV said.

At present, trains between the two run along the Trans-Siberian railway that links Moscow and Vladivostok, before switching to a branch line heading south through the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.

Direct passenger trains between Beijing and Moscow went into operation in 1954 and there are still two services per week, CCTV said.

The new link would cut the train travel time from six days at present to under two days, the Beijing Times quoted Wang Mengshu, a tunnel and railway expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as saying.

"If the funds are raised smoothly... the line can be completed in five years at the quickest," he added.

The paper cited a research report that put the cost of one kilometre of Chinese-built fast rail at $ 33 million.

The country has the world's largest high-speed rail network, built from scratch in less than a decade, relying on technology transfer from foreign companies, including France's Alstom, Germany's Siemens and Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Its reputation was tarnished after a bullet train collision in July 2011 near the eastern city of Wenzhou that killed at least 40 people and injured hundreds.
 
$230 billion is no chum change even for China and Russia.

Here's the plan:
ZGUH9x6.jpg


Could be an attempt to re-orient China to the Eurasian bloc. Not sure if Russia will go for it. Besides the obvious financing hurdles, the Russians may see this as Chinese laying the groundwork for Siberian invasion. :woot: You never know, the West may have finally pissed Putin off enough to make him green light the project.
 
$230 billion is no chum change even for China and Russia.

Here's the plan:
ZGUH9x6.jpg


Could be an attempt to re-orient China to the Eurasian bloc. Not sure if Russia will go for it. Besides the obvious financing hurdles, the Russians may see this as Chinese laying the groundwork for Siberian invasion. :woot: You never know, the West may have finally pissed Putin off enough to make him green light the project.

They will surely try it to connect with the rest part of Europe. Will be a short route to transport their products.
 
They will surely try it to connect with the rest part of Europe. Will be a short route to transport their products.

That's the ultimate goal but considering Russia is under sanctions it may be awhile before that happens. Personally, I think the project is about economics and boosting growth rate. Other than the fact that the high-speed rail companies are Chinese and the resources will mostly come from Russia. Its a win-win for both but the question remains who is financing the project?

I think this project should be seen in context of the recent IMF headlines

(Oct 9, 2014) IMF warns of eurozone recession, presses Germany
(Oct 9, 2014) IMF chief: eurozone showing symptoms of Japan’s chronic economic ills
(Oct 7, 2014) Data, IMF outlook point to German economy running out of steam
(Oct 7, 2014) IMF Asks Rich Nations for Support
(Oct 7, 2014) Global Growth Forecast to 3.8%


IMF is pushing Germany to spend rather than relying on the ill-conceived pipe-dream that is "self-sustaining recovery" by reducing debt burden. :woot: If "Rich Nations" don't spend then you are eventually going to see what the economist Albert Edwards calls an "Ice Age" with prolong stagnation marked by pervasive deflation, and deteriorating living conditions around the world. A world in recession or Japanese-style deflation isn't good for exporters like China. So CPC is hoping to kill two birds with one stone that is:
1. A massive infrastructure project that boosts growth rate and create jobs
2. Move Russia and China closer hoping for more co-operation

Previously, China floated the idea of China-US high-speed rail

xxOTH3x.jpg


Before that in 2011, it was London-Moscow-Beijing-New York

3H7NoFz.jpg


None of the projects found the necessary support and as you can see the scope of their high-speed rails is getting smaller. From London-Moscow-Beijing-New York to Beijing-New York and now Moscow-Beijing.
 
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