Construction of Eurasia-America railroad could cost $55-$67 bln
The construction of a transcontinental railroad from Eurasia to America with a tunnel under the Bering Strait could cost $55 billion-$67 billion, Viktor Razbegin, deputy chairman of a council that is studying the project, said at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
The railroad would stretch about 6,000 kilometers, including 4,000 kilometers in Russia, and the tunnel would be 102 kilometers long, he said.
According to preliminary estimates by Mosgiprotrans, the construction of the railroad could cost $12 billion-$15 billion, the tunnel could run $10 billion-$12 billion and the electricity needed for the railroad could cost $23 billion-$25 billion. Investment in the construction of the tunnel was calculated based on a cost of $120 million per kilometer.
"The Japanese have offered to build it for half the cost," Razbegin said, adding that the project could be carried out on the basis of a partnership between the government and businesses with the use of the concession mechanism.
It could take nine to twelve years to build the railroad and 13 to 15 years to receive a return on the project. The railroad would be able to carry 70 million tonnes per year.
Razbegin stressed that the construction of the railroad is not being talked about at present. "We're talking about carrying out a detailed study of the project," he said.