Russian Railways ready to participate in high-speed rail project, sees itself as carrier and infrastructure operator

ST. PETERSBURG. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Russian Railways, in partnership with investors, is ready to participate in the project of a high-speed railway line between Moscow and St. Petersburg; the company sees itself as the railway carrier for the project.

"We assume we will be one of the participants. It will not be a traditional set-up where we as the railroad, take everything upon ourselves and do everything. No. This is a commercial project that should have a payback, where there will be participants, and each is responsible for their own risks," head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov said at the PRO//Dvizhenie.Expo international railway salon of equipment and technologies.

"For now, we see ourselves as a carrier, since we have the competence, and the competence to operate the infrastructure. We probably should be participants in the concession arrangements, but we do not have the right to dominate this project. These are investors, and there are other investors. They said here that banks would also like to (participate)," he said.

Some risks should be borne by the construction company, and someone should take the risk for the rolling stock, he said.