Rail service resumes between Grozny, Moscow after five-year suspension

A passenger train left Russia's Republic of Chechnya Sunday noon for Moscow, marking the resumption of railway service which had been suspended by the eruption of the second war between Chechen rebels and federal forces, news reaching here from the Chechen capital of Grozny said.

The train, the first over the past five years, would arrive in Moscow in about 46 hours, said Konstantin Pashkov, head of the public relations center of the Russian Railways Company, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

He said two trains will shuttle between Grozny and Moscow twicea week, and police officers with sniff dogs will look for possibleexplosives and drugs on the train in order to ensure security.

Rail and road traffic within Chechnya and road transportation between Chechnya and other Russian regions had been resumed earlier.

It is expected that air service between Grozny and Moscow will be restored in three months, Alexander Neradko, head of the Federal Service on Transport, said, adding that about 409 million rubles (14.1 million US dollars) is needed to maintain regular flights on the route.

Rail service between Grozny and other parts of Russia came to astop in 1999 as the city's railway station and its adjacent trackswere destroyed during militant operations.

Russian Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Greffsaid last week that transportation in Chechnya will be restored inthe near future. He also said the task will be a priority in a newfederal program to be drafted soon on rebuilding Chechnya.

Source: Xinhua