Russia to spend 70 bln rubles on Novorossiysk transport hub by 2030

KRASNODAR. Sept 9 (Interfax) - The project for the complex development of the Novorossiysk transport hub has been included in Russia's comprehensive national Construction program, the government's Telegram channel reported.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed an order expanding the list of facilities included in the program.

Federal funding for the hub is expected to total more than 69.4 billion rubles in the period to 2030 and will be used to build railway yards, develop the Novorossiysk train station of Russian Railways' (RZD) North Caucasus Railway and build about 50 km of new lines.

This decision will make it possible to eliminate bottlenecks on railway approaches to seaports in southern Russia, which will enable them to increase cargo traffic, the statement said.

The national Construction program, which was approved in February 2023, includes priority construction projects for the state costing upwards of 3 billion rubles for which budget funding is allocated. This includes healthcare, sports and education centers, museums, and utility and transport infrastructure. Overall federal funding for measures included in the list amounts to about 5 trillion rubles.

The development of the Novorossiysk transport hub is intended to expand its throughput capacity to accommodate growing cargo traffic through seaports in the Azov-Black Sea basin.

The North Caucasus Railway said the first phase of the project will be completed by the end of 2025, significantly increasing the throughput capacity of the railway hub and eliminating bottlenecks on railway approaches to the Novorossiysk seaport.

Upon the completion of the project in 2030, freight traffic is expected to increase by a third compared to 2024, to 43 million tonnes per year.