Russian railroad to extend broad-gauge track to Vienna

Russian railroad to extend broad-gauge track to Vienna    The Russian Railways said it will begin the selection of contractors to develop a feasibility study for a project to build broad-gauge rail lines from Ko'ice, Slovakia, to Vienna, Austria.
   The project's goal is to link the railway system of Central Europe with regions on the Trans-Siberian route, attract freight to the Asia/Russia/Central Europe route, and to raise the competitiveness of railway transportation compared to sea and road transport.
   'This project embodies our approach to developing cooperation not only in railway transport, but in harmonizing transport rights, and providing deeper integration, including between countries of the CIS and the EU,' said Vladimir Yakunin, president of the Russian Railways, in a statement.
   In April 2008, the Russian Railways, along with the railroads of Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine, signed a protocol on starting the pre-project research phase into extending the broad-gauge rail network into Central Europe. An organizing committee for the project was formed in May 2009 to start the work of a joint venture for concluding a feasibility study on the project.