China to Build 7,000 Km Moscow-Beijing Railway Estimated $242 Bln

The railway will ease travel between Beijing and Moscow and reduce travel times, Beijing's municipal government announced.

MOSCOW, January 22 (Sputnik) – China will build a high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Moscow, estimated to cost 1.5 trillion yuan ($242 billion), Beijing's municipal government announced on Thursday.

The length of the railway will total 7,000 kilometers. The railway will pass through Kazakhstan, and the journey will take two days, Bloomberg reports, citing the government' announcement in the Weibo social network. The railway will ease travel between Beijing and Moscow and reduce travel times, the announcement notes.

According to Bloomberg, China is promoting its high-speed rail technology on an international level, adding that the construction of the railway is taking place as Russia's relations with the US and Europe cool over the Ukraine conflict.

China currently has the world’s longest high-speed rail network with over 11,000 km (6,852 miles) of track. Some Chinese trains can reach operational speeds of 380 km/h (240 mph).

In October, the Russian government signed a memorandum of cooperation on a high-speed railroad with Chinese officials. The purpose of the document is to develop a Moscow-Beijing Eurasian high-speed rail transport corridor, including the priority project of a Moscow-Kazan high-speed rail line.