Russia's highest speed railway is the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).[13] The first upgraded 250 km/h service went into service December 26, 2008. Plans for other railways are following, including a Helsinki-St. Petersburg Pendolino, and Moscow-Sochi using Japanese Shinkansen.
Russia has the following lines in consideration or under construction:
-The Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway has been updated to allow a Siemens Velaro RUS to reach 250 km/h (155 mph), though the trains are capable of 300 km/h (186 mph) service. Construction started in 2004 and train work assembly in 2007, with 8 widened Siemens Velaros ordered. At the moment, the fastest trains in that route are «ER-200» and «Nevsky Express» with cruising speed 160–180 km/h (99–110 mph). Service began December 26, 2008.
-Helsinki - St. Petersburg: Finland and Russia have agreed on a high speed rail line linking Helsinki and St. Petersburg, originally planned to be cut to 3.5 hrs using existing Finnish Pendolinos by 2008, now Alstom has signed a contract in August 2007 with Karelian Trains for four (4) New Pendolino derivatives and options for 2 more. Times will be cut from 5.5 hours to 3 hours, with passport checks being carried out on-board the trains. Due to begin open in 2010.[14][15] It is not clear if the Pendolino plan was cancelled in favor of the Alstom trains or if they will simply be replaced or added.
-Moscow-Kaliningrad: high speed line plan existed previously.
-Moscow-Sochi route: Recently, serious talks with Sumitomo Corporation of Japan for Shinkansen for the Moscow-Sochi route (for Sochi's successful bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics).
-Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod route, to use Shinkansen along with Sochi, although the contract was previously eyed for use by the German ICE's.[16]
-Transiberian Railway : Russia is in preliminary talks with Japan for long term plans to replace the trains on the Transiberian Railway with a Shinkansen derivate.
According to RZhD Director Vladimir Yakunin, Russia will have several high-speed railroads by 2012 - 2014.[17]