218 billion rubles can be allocated from the National Welfare Fund for the third stage of the expansion of the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway

For the implementation of the third stage of the expansion of the Eastern test site Russian Railways (BAM and Transsib) it is planned to allocate about 218 billion rubles. from the National Welfare Fund (NWF). This was announced by Deputy Head of the Ministry of Transport of Russia Valentin Ivanov, transmits TASS.

“There are a number of projects that have been discussed. This is the development of the Eastern test site, the third stage, the attraction of funds from the National Welfare Fund ... the figure was preliminary - about 200-218 billion rubles,” he said.

At the end of last year, the agency recalls, Ivanov estimated the implementation of the third stage of the program at 600 billion rubles. In March, he spoke about the concession applications submitted by BTS-Most for the construction of four BAM facilities as part of this stage, the total investment will amount to about 588 billion rubles.

The first stage of the expansion of the Eastern test site was implemented in 2013–2018. and cost 520.5 billion rubles, including 349 billion rubles. Russian Railways funds. The second stage of the program is being implemented from 2018 to 2024. It is expected that the expansion of the landfill capacity will result in a reduction in the time for delivery of goods by rail from the Far East to the western border of Russia from two weeks to one.

The second stage involves the construction of 263 facilities and an increase in carrying capacity in 2024 to 180 million tons from 158 million tons in 2022. During 2023, the project is to build 138 facilities and transport 173 million tons of cargo.

Problems with the export of goods through the Eastern range escalated after the start of a special operation in Ukraine and the anti-Russian sanctions imposed because of it. In particular, they limited the list of goods that were delivered to Europe, and practically deprived Russian ships of the opportunity to enter European ports.

In order to unload the Eastern landfill from low-margin cargo, primarily coal, the authorities in March 2022 suspended the rules for non-discriminatory access (NDA, determine the order of cargo transportation) to the railway infrastructure. In February Russian Railways proposed to extend the suspension of the MPA, at a meeting of the government commission on May 26, this proposal was supported.