OREANDA-NEWS. On December 13, 2007 Vadim Morozov, first Vice-President at Russian Railways, announced: "In 2008, we will be repairing and upgrading 15,900 km of track, 36% more than this year’s figure of 11,700 km, and increasing our spending on these purposes from 77,3 billion roubles in 2007 to 103 billion in 2008", reported the press-centre of Russian Railways.

Morozov was speaking at a conference with managers from Russian Railways’ track repair and maintenance division.

As the first Vice President explained, in essence, the Company is moving towards more reconstruction of the track and its associated infrastructure, which includes the repair of the sub-grade formation, artificial and drainage facilities and other complex works.

According to Morozov, the task is complicated by the fact that the work will have to be carried out against the background of steadily increasing transportation and traffic volumes, which necessitates undertaking a whole series of important measures to improve and upgrade the track system. However, this situation also provides an opportunity to reexamine the existing order of planning and organising "the window of opportunity" for completing track work and to apply more broadly the promising new technology for laying track in winter which the Company has successfully tested at Western Siberian Railways.