10 June 2025

GC NPS, JSC conducts Russia's first tests of the contact network for the Moscow - St. Petersburg High-Speed Railway

GC NPS, JSC has started testing the design of the contact network for the Moscow - St. Petersburg High-Speed Railway. For this purpose, for the first time in Russia, a pilot section of the line capable of transmitting electricity to trains with a speed of up to 400 km/hour has been built.

"The contact network for the Moscow - St. Petersburg High-Speed Railway is a proprietary import-independent development of Natsproektstroy. The structure is designed taking into account the world experience in construction of high-speed railroads, all its elements are Russian-made. The network is designed for increased load from high-speed trains, which will ensure reliability and safety of transportation", - said Alexey Krapivin, General Director of Natsproektstroy.

The tests are conducted on the experimental ring railroad of VNIIZhT in Shcherbinka near Moscow. On the experimental section, the builders have poured foundations, installed reinforced supports, mounted nodes and consoles, and rolled out overhead catenary wires.

For better conductivity the cross-section of the contact wire of the future High-Speed Railway has been increased: 150 mm versus 100 mm on ordinary highways. The supports are designed for high vibration load, their bored foundations go underground for 6 meters, which is comparable to the height of a two-storey house. The planned service life of such supports is about 70 years.

The tests will last until February 2026: during this time, the builders will check the structure's resistance to temperature fluctuations and the reliability of nodes' operation in different environments

The construction of the country's first HSL between Moscow and St. Petersburg is being carried out by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin within the framework of the national project “Efficient Transportation System”.