The Plan identifies key infrastructure projects needed to meet national development goals outlined in President Vladimir Putin's decree from May 2024, which sets targets through 2030 and extends the vision to 2036.
"To coordinate territorial development across the country, the government has adopted an ambitious Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Plan running through 2036. This initiative will deliver approximately 4,500 km of new and upgraded railways, over 2,000 km of highways, more than 800 km of high-voltage transmission lines, and nearly 20,000 km of backbone fiber-optic networks," Mikhail Mishustin announced during his September 8 meeting with deputy prime ministers.
The plan encompasses four major railway projects, with 4,375.1 km of track construction planned by 2036.
The document incorporates two strategic initiatives: "Modernizing Railway Infrastructure of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian Railways with Enhanced Throughput and Capacity Development" and "Developing and Upgrading Railway Infrastructure on Approaches to Azov-Black Sea Basin Ports." Once completed, these projects will boost capacity by 180 million tons and 131 million tons annually, respectively.
A third project planned for southern Russia involves building public railway infrastructure. This line will extend from the North Caucasus Railway's main route, connecting to Taman-Passazhirskaya station and continuing to marine terminals on the Taman Peninsula that specialize in agricultural product handling. The project requires 16.1 km of new track, with completion scheduled by 2028. The section will handle 14 million tons annually and accommodate 13 train pairs daily.
The Comprehensive Plan also includes construction of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway, stretching 679 km.
The government, in turn, advises regional authorities to align their infrastructure development plans with federal priorities. Projects outlined in the Comprehensive Plan will draw funding from federal budget allocations, regional budgets, and private sources.
All government plans will eventually align with Russia's Transport Strategy, which the Ministry of Transport plans to update through 2050 (currently valid until 2035), Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin previously informed journalists. He stressed that Russia has developed public demand for future transportation, where the primary goal involves creating an integrated system for fast, comfortable, and safe travel from home to final destination.
"We'll focus heavily on autonomous transport development—not just drones, but highway trucks, trains, and trams. These technologies improve transportation safety and efficiency," the Transport Minister emphasized.
"Signing the Comprehensive Plan allows Russian Railways to incorporate these facilities into its investment program," stated Pavel Ivankin, President of the National Research Center for Transportation and Infrastructure. "It also creates opportunities to seek government-level support."
Sergey Pletnev
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