Russian Railways Initiates Major Expansion Amidst Its War with the Launch of Eastern Polygon's Third Phase

Russian Railways has set in motion the third phase of its Eastern Polygon project to boost its railway infrastructure.

This ambitious initiative encompasses the construction of three critical tunnels—Kodarsky, Severomuysky, and Kuznetsovsky—alongside a new bridge across the Amur River in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

With the projects slated for completion between 2030 and 2032, the financial outline for these constructions hovers around the EUR 5 billion mark, a substantial portion of the overall EUR 37.2 trillion spared for this expansive phase.

Oleg Belozerov, the chief of Russian Railways, underscored the project's significance, noting the shift from the Soviet era's resource abundance to leveraging modern technology and expertise to ensure the project's success.

This phase is aimed to ramp up the railway's cargo handling capabilities, facilitating the transport of up to 255 million tons by 2033. The Eastern Polygon's development will secure cargo transport, accommodating a variety of shipments including coal, oil, and containers, thereby meeting the demand from both domestic and international markets, which seem to be still striving despite Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and the sanctions posed on the aggressor country as a response.