All Russian passenger trains will run bypassing Ukraine from December 11, Dmitry Pegov, head passenger traffic department at the Russian Railways company, told reporters.
"There will be a transition period. Some trains are already running there. The transition will last exactly from day December 10 to December 11, " he said adding that after that the passenger trains will no longer run along the old railroad on the territory of Ukraine.
Earlier, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said that regular railway service bypassing Ukraine may start this year.
He said that the Zhuravka-Millerovo railroad line will provide high-speed transportation for passenger and freight trains to the south of our country and allow to avoid passing the border near Ukraine.
The project aims to develop railroad infrastructure in the South - West direction, increase its capacity and provide transport security for freight and passenger trains bypassing Ukraine’s territory.
In 2015, Russia decided to build a railway line leaving out Ukraine for trains going from the country’s central regions to the southern regions.
The trunk line will become part of the railway line connecting central Russia with the Black Sea coast. According to the project, passenger trains will have a 140km/h maximum passenger speed that can be increased to 160km/h and freight trains, up to 90km/h. The new railroad is 137km long and passes through the Voronezh and Rostov Regions. It is double-track and electrified, and seven new stations have been built there.