Russian Railways propose to Japan participating in financing project of broad gauge to Vienna

TOKYO, July 7. /TASS/. Russian Railways Head Vladimir Yakunin proposed to Japanese partners to participate in financing the project of extending the broad gauge to Vienna, Yakunin said Tuesday at the business forum of the Coordination Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation in Tokyo. "I can tell you that we have come to the phase where we need to form a special fund for the project. I invite Japan's financial circles to consider the possibility of participation," Yakunin said. Yakunin said that currently the implementation of the project is successfully continues with the participation of the of railway companies of Austria, Slovakia, Russia and Ukraine. In particular, the business plan is ready and the initial capital must be formed now. Yakunin said that the total cost of construction the project infrastructure of a broad gauge line amounts to 5 bln euro. He did not specify the way the investment may be distributed among the project participants, noting that the share of third-party investment could be of "absolutely any amount," and the Russian Railways contribution requires consultation with the Russian Government. "I have no doubt that, whether or not there will be delays caused by political circumstances, this project is very viable and economically feasible," Yakunin told journalists. Commenting on the cooperation with Ukraine on the draft broad gauge line, he said: "I sincerely hope that those unfortunate circumstances that are now shared by the two nations, the two countries, will be eliminated and we will continue to work normally." Read more