I. Metshin: "High speed road will turn Kazan into a powerful transport hub between China and Europe"

(Kazan City KZN.RU, November 27). The advent of high-speed railway "Moscow - Kazan" will turn the capital of Tatarstan in the powerful transport hub between China and Europe. There are all prerequisites for the "Moscow-Kazan" will become part of the future high-speed line "Moscow-Beijing" and the project "Silk Road" that will connect China with the markets of Europe and the Middle East. This opinion was expressed by the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin at the plenary session of the Forum of cities of the new train Silk Road, which ended today in Turin, Italy.

The forum was attended by the Mayor of Turin Piero Fassino, Mayor of Genoa Marco Doria, chief of staff of the Mayor of the city of Rostock (Germany) Robert Stach and leaders of other cities.

During the plenary session of "The Future of the metro region METR" the forum participants discussed the possibility of creating a common railway area. During the test drive "Future metro region METR. Projects, forming the new Silk Road" projects aimed at the development of mobility and the future creation of the Eurasian high-speed subway were presented. High-speed Eurasian transport corridor “Moscow-Beijing” is a part of the northern route of the new Silk Road from China to Europe.

It is planned that the transport corridor will pass through the capital of Tatarstan. Mayor Ilsur Metshin shared his vision of Eurasian transport integration during the plenary session of the Forum "Cities as the future of the Eurasian high-speed station subway". The head of Tatarstan's capital told the audience about Kazan rich cultural life, educational development, tourism potential, plans for further development of the city.

"We are all united by the history. The Great Silk Road is a way from China to Rome, and from India to Samarkand and further to the north, up to the Volga cities, where the Volga-Kama Bulgaria blossomed and developed. Kazan is its heir. I am confident that today innovative forms of transport can play for our civilization the same role as the establishment of a regular network of wells - for ancient time", - the Mayor of Kazan said.

According to the head of the city, the creation of the new Silk Road will serve as a driver of economic development of Russia, Tatarstan and Kazan. The opening of high speed road "Moscow - Kazan" will be one of the key factors in the growth of mobility and passenger turnover. "HSR "Moscow - Kazan" will become the first high-speed road in Russia. Financing of the project, the level of support of government and business have been already identified. Survey and design work are in process today. We are looking forward for high-speed line in Kazan. It will provide tremendous time savings, a new level of comfort, security and opportunities for development. It will be possible to get to Moscow from Kazan not for the whole night, but only for 3.5 hours"- the Mayor of Kazan said.

Ilsur Metshin expressed hope that with the advent of high-speed rail Kazan will turn into powerful transport multi-modal hub for the entire region. “We have all the preconditions for this," - said the head of Kazan.

At the end of the forum the mayors who supported the idea of ​​creating a single railway area, signed the "Declaration of Turin". It is worth adding that the objectives of the declaration are to provide a platform for cultural, social, economic and political dialogue between the cities of the Mediterranean corridor and cities in the METR region in order to protect and promote the common interests of these areas, to maintain a new level of mobility of goods and passengers through the new high-speed and high-capacity corridors of METR region, as well as maintaining to combat with the economic, political and social crisis, promotion of clean development initiatives.