The Russian government plans to approve new legislation to allow the private sector to invest in metro projects including the construction of infrastructure and the acquisition of rolling stock.

The new bill will regulate private sector investment in all aspects of light rail and metro projects.

A representative of the Ministry of Transport, stated:

The basis for the construction of the first private metros lines in Russia has been already created through the law on concessioning. Therefore, it is clear that the government will not turn back and private money will soon be available for metros. Some regional governments have already initiated negotiations with private investors and after the bill is adopted construction could start within a couple of years.

According to sources, several regions have already announced that they are negotiating with potential investors. The city of Novosibirsk could be seeking around R12.8 billion (US$351 million) in private investment to help finance its first metro line. The city of Voronezh would aim to get around R15 billion (US$411 million) for metro projects. Additionally, the city of Krasnoyarsk, which suspended a project due to a shortage of funds, announced that several parties are willing to provide funds to restart the project.

Construction of new metro lines in the Moscow metro network are also expected. According to sources, private investments in Moscow could amount to R50 billion (US$1.37 billion) over the next five or six years.