RUSSIA: St Petersburg Investment Committee Head Irina Babyuk announced on August 22 the official preliminary approval of a light rail project to link the city with the town of Kolpino to the southeast.
Preliminary studies and design have been carried out by LSR Group, and an invitation for tenders could be issued early next year. Preliminary cost estimates are 10·3bn roubles to build the line, which would have its own depot, plus 2·5bn roubles for a fleet of 22 vehicles.
The 12 km route would serve the satellite town with a population of 100 000 and act as a feeder to the future Shushary metro station at the southern end of Line 5, which is due to open in late 2017.
Preliminary design contracts were recently awarded for two more light rail feeder lines in St Petersburg. A total of 13 light rail lines are planned.
