Russian Railways president Vladimir Yakunin has proposed building a multi-trillion ruble transport corridor extending from the country's Pacific east coast to Europe's Atlantic coast, a news report said.
Yakunin presented the project during a meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Itar-Tass reported Monday. Called the Trans-Eurasian Development Corridor, it would include pipelines for oil, gas and water, and conduit for electricity and communications, in addition to rail freight.
If completed, Yakunin says that the project could create "10 to 15 new industries," entirely new cities, and a staggering number of new jobs. The corridor would be on the scale of massive infrastructure projects of the Soviet Union, including the development of the space program and electrification of Russia. The project would also would promote the "development of Russia as the civilized core, integrated with geographic zones from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic," Yakunin said.
Yakunin co-authored the proposal with the Gennady Osipov, director of social-political research at the Russian Academy of Sciences and Viktor Sadovnichy, rector of Moscow State University.
The railway monopoly chief said the project would significantly boost Russia's GDP.
Yakunin, a former diplomat, has previously accused the U.S of seeking to "destroy" Russia as a geopolitical opponent, and championed the decision to allow Russian troops deployment in Ukraine as it "showed the world that Russia will not leave people in trouble in the face of mad rogues."
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