The “non-existent” Crimean Bridge reaches a new “height”
Freight train traffic has reopened on the Crimean Bridge. Russian Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh gave the go-ahead today at 9:40 a.m., reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
A freight train containing the products of Crimean producers, soda ash and limestone, departed from Crimea to the Russian mainland, and a train loaded with fuel, fertilizers, building materials and grain departed from the mainland to the republic.
According to the head of Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, the launch of freight rail service should influence the reduction of prices for goods in the republic.
“The opening of freight train traffic across the Crimean Bridge is an important contribution to the development of the Crimean economy... Now, in terms of logistics capabilities, Crimea is no different from other regions of our country... The capacity of the bridge provides for 12 freight pairs of trains per day. This will make it possible to transport 13 million tons of cargo per year.
The launch of a freight railway service will increase the supply of products and raw materials in both directions, significantly reduce logistics costs, and therefore the cost of manufactured products, and will contribute to the development of competition and increase the investment attractiveness of Crimea. We hope that all this together will have a positive impact on the price situation, first of all, it will help reduce food prices,” Aksenov wrote in his blog.
At the same time, the former Minister of Transport of the Republic, Anatoly Tsurkin, doubted that after the launch of the movement, prices would be reduced.
“I don’t think this will affect prices. But this event will in any case have a positive impact on the economy. Saturation and increase in cargo traffic. Increasing turnover of rolling stock,” notes the ex-minister.
As a reminder, the President of the Russian Federation personally opened the Crimean Bridge to traffic on May 15, 2018. He also participated in the launch of passenger traffic on December 23 of last year.
In total, the construction of the Crimean Bridge cost almost 228 billion rubles. Its total length was 19 km. Of these, 18,1 km is the length of the railway part and 16,9 km is the road part.
Ukrainian politicians initially pretended the bridge didn't exist , but then began threatening to destroy it.
Thus, former Secretary of the Security Council Oleksandr Turchynov stated that Ukraine possesses missile weapons capable of destroying Russian ships in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the bridge across the Kerch Strait.
Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, retired Lieutenant General Igor Romanenko, threatened that if Russia decides to revive the Novorossiya project, Ukraine will destroy the Crimean Bridge with a missile salvo or airstrike.
The "Non-Existent" Crimean Bridge Reaches New Heights