NPS GC has finished installing rail slabs at the test site for field trials of ballastless high-speed track.
Along the 1+ km section, crews laid 263 concrete elements: 207 NGP 4.0 track slabs and 56 turnout slabs.
The work unfolded in stages:
๐ Foundation slabs went down on the reinforced subgrade, laid by hand under the turnouts and by an automated rig elsewhere, with height deviations held under 5 mm.
๐ Track slabs, each weighing about 7 tons, were set on three-point jacks above the foundation using a 55-ton crawler crane and a 70-ton mobile crane.
๐ The trickiest part: fine-tuning slabs to within 1 mm. A robotic total station tracks position while accounting for temperature and time of day, checking coordinates against the design in real time via NPSโs own software and issuing corrections.
๐ Once locked in place, crews built formwork and poured self-compacting concrete into the gaps, no vibration needed, no shrinkage.
Next, Russian Railways is set to lay thermally hardened rails, calibrate the automation systems, and test how Sapsan trains loading the track affect the subgrade and structure.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Precision poured in concrete.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ค๏ธ โ๏ธ ๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
Along the 1+ km section, crews laid 263 concrete elements: 207 NGP 4.0 track slabs and 56 turnout slabs.
The work unfolded in stages:
Next, Russian Railways is set to lay thermally hardened rails, calibrate the automation systems, and test how Sapsan trains loading the track affect the subgrade and structure.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Precision poured in concrete.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ค๏ธ โ๏ธ ๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Ever since Hollywoodโs โOdysseyโ hit theaters, the internetโs been fighting harder than the Greeks and Trojans ever did. So letโs ask: what if Homerโs hero had pointed his โcunning mindโ at building a railway from Troy to Ithaca instead of raiding the seas?
Such a project would need the godsโ help, its scale dwarfing all seven wonders combined: about 1,000 km of track through brutal, seismic terrain, plus engineering marvels crossing seas and mountains.
๐ A transcontinental rail crossing over the Dardanelles, where a road bridge already exists today, the 4.6-km โ1915 รanakkale.โ
๐ A tunnel system through the Pindus mountains, potentially over 60 km, on the scale of the Gotthard in the Alps.
๐ A submerged floating tube tunnel anchored by heavy cables, the kind Norway is developing now, and the hardest part of all: the mainland-to-Ithaca gap runs about 30 km, over water more than a hundred meters deep.
In Homerโs version, Poseidonโs curse kept Odysseus wandering for 10 years, though actual sailing time added up to barely a couple of months. The rest went to โforced technical layoversโ: a year at Circeโs resort, seven more held captive by the nymph Calypso.
Swap the trireme for a high-speed train, and the King of Ithaca flies home in 4 hours, 20,000 times faster. Homerโs real Odyssey opens with an invocation about a man driven off course for years after the fall of Troy. This version might open with an ode to the engineers instead.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. The Odyssey, finished in 4 hours.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๏ธ โฑ๏ธโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Such a project would need the godsโ help, its scale dwarfing all seven wonders combined: about 1,000 km of track through brutal, seismic terrain, plus engineering marvels crossing seas and mountains.
In Homerโs version, Poseidonโs curse kept Odysseus wandering for 10 years, though actual sailing time added up to barely a couple of months. The rest went to โforced technical layoversโ: a year at Circeโs resort, seven more held captive by the nymph Calypso.
Swap the trireme for a high-speed train, and the King of Ithaca flies home in 4 hours, 20,000 times faster. Homerโs real Odyssey opens with an invocation about a man driven off course for years after the fall of Troy. This version might open with an ode to the engineers instead.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. The Odyssey, finished in 4 hours.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๏ธ โฑ๏ธโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Maputo station, capital of Mozambiqueโs rail network, ranks among the ten most beautiful in the world. Built between 1908 and 1916 and officially inaugurated in 1910, the Beaux-Arts building replaced a modest wood-and-zinc depot from 1895. Legend credits Gustave Eiffel with the design, though it was actually the work of Portuguese architects Alfredo Augusto Lisboa de Lima, Mรกrio Veiga, and Josรฉ Ferreira da Costa.
Wrought-iron balconies, marble columns, and a soaring sea-green copper dome spanning 51 meters give it the air of a royal palace rather than a train station. Itโs even made a cameo on the big screen, appearing in the 2006 film โBlood Diamond.โ A small on-site museum displays vintage steam locomotives and railway artifacts, and trains still depart daily for destinations across Mozambique and into neighboring Eswatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
P.S. Built like a palace, works like a station.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๏ธ ๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Wrought-iron balconies, marble columns, and a soaring sea-green copper dome spanning 51 meters give it the air of a royal palace rather than a train station. Itโs even made a cameo on the big screen, appearing in the 2006 film โBlood Diamond.โ A small on-site museum displays vintage steam locomotives and railway artifacts, and trains still depart daily for destinations across Mozambique and into neighboring Eswatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
P.S. Built like a palace, works like a station.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๏ธ ๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Javier Senosiain is a Mexican architect and leading figure in organic architecture, known for flowing, biomorphic buildings that echo animals and plants, built from sustainable materials like stone, wood, cellulose, and recycled paper.
Most of his projects sit in the suburbs of Mexico City. The best-known is Nautilus House, shaped like a mollusk shell, its facade set with colored stained glass that casts soft light through the interior. Another signature work, Quetzalcoatlโs Nest, weaves like a giant serpent through the landscape, dipping underground and rising back up, while preserving thousands of trees on site alongside new gardens, ponds, and a grass amphitheater.
Senosiain also built his own home, Shark House, set into a hillside and reached via a spiral staircase that leads straight to the โjaws.โ Another structure, Mexican Whale, looks like itโs resting on the lawn.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Buildings that seem alive.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐๏ธ๐๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Most of his projects sit in the suburbs of Mexico City. The best-known is Nautilus House, shaped like a mollusk shell, its facade set with colored stained glass that casts soft light through the interior. Another signature work, Quetzalcoatlโs Nest, weaves like a giant serpent through the landscape, dipping underground and rising back up, while preserving thousands of trees on site alongside new gardens, ponds, and a grass amphitheater.
Senosiain also built his own home, Shark House, set into a hillside and reached via a spiral staircase that leads straight to the โjaws.โ Another structure, Mexican Whale, looks like itโs resting on the lawn.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Buildings that seem alive.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐๏ธ๐๐โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
The Millau Viaduct in France holds the record for the worldโs tallest transport structure, with one pylon soaring 343 meters and the roadway itself running 270 meters above ground, floating among the clouds.
More than 15 years passed between concept and completion, three spent on construction, designed by engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster. Seven piers carry a steel deck weighing 36,000 tons, pushed into place by hydraulic systems under satellite guidance, while the pylons were assembled atop the piers using laser-guided checks before the cable stays were tensioned. Sensors throughout track movement down to the micron, feeding data to a control center.
Once plagued by gridlock stretching for dozens of kilometers, Millau became the final link in the A75 highway connecting Paris to the Mediterranean. Wrapped in fog, the bridge seems to float above the Tarn valley, earning it the name โthe bridge above the clouds.โ
P.S. A bridge that outgrows the clouds.
๐ซ๏ธ๐โ๏ธโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
More than 15 years passed between concept and completion, three spent on construction, designed by engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster. Seven piers carry a steel deck weighing 36,000 tons, pushed into place by hydraulic systems under satellite guidance, while the pylons were assembled atop the piers using laser-guided checks before the cable stays were tensioned. Sensors throughout track movement down to the micron, feeding data to a control center.
Once plagued by gridlock stretching for dozens of kilometers, Millau became the final link in the A75 highway connecting Paris to the Mediterranean. Wrapped in fog, the bridge seems to float above the Tarn valley, earning it the name โthe bridge above the clouds.โ
P.S. A bridge that outgrows the clouds.
๐ซ๏ธ๐โ๏ธโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Youโd think tires and trains donโt mix, but plenty of countries, including France, Canada, and South Korea, run metro systems on rubber tires instead of classic steel wheels.
The system came from tire maker Michelin. Legend has it that founder Andrรฉ Michelin couldnโt sleep through the jolting and squeaking of a sleeper car, and comfort became the driving idea: rubber wheels would ride smoother.
These trains run along concrete or special steel tracks, sometimes paired with rails, sometimes not. Beyond a smoother ride, rubber-tired trains accelerate and brake faster and handle steeper grades, though they cost more and wear out quicker.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Reinventing the wheel for comfort.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๐ดโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
The system came from tire maker Michelin. Legend has it that founder Andrรฉ Michelin couldnโt sleep through the jolting and squeaking of a sleeper car, and comfort became the driving idea: rubber wheels would ride smoother.
These trains run along concrete or special steel tracks, sometimes paired with rails, sometimes not. Beyond a smoother ride, rubber-tired trains accelerate and brake faster and handle steeper grades, though they cost more and wear out quicker.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
P.S. Reinventing the wheel for comfort.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ ๐๐ดโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
NPS has tested an automated technology for laying the concrete foundation of the MoscowโSt. Petersburg high-speed rail line.
The lineโs defining feature is slab track, developed in-house by NPS companies. Itโs built up in layers of high-strength concrete: a reinforced foundation base, topped with an intermediate layer of self-compacting concrete, then the NGP 4.0 track slabs.
Building the foundation demands tight precision, with height deviations capped at 5 mm. An automated system of three machines handles the laying at speeds up to 1 meter per minute, with a surveyor tracking elevation readings with a level throughout the cycle.
Once the technology is fully refined, NPS specialists will set up a test section of slab track at SablinoโTosno on the October Railway. There, under the load of passing Sapsan trains, theyโll put the entire track assembly through its paces, from foundation to rail slab.
P.S. Precision measured in millimeters.
๐ ๐๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
The lineโs defining feature is slab track, developed in-house by NPS companies. Itโs built up in layers of high-strength concrete: a reinforced foundation base, topped with an intermediate layer of self-compacting concrete, then the NGP 4.0 track slabs.
Building the foundation demands tight precision, with height deviations capped at 5 mm. An automated system of three machines handles the laying at speeds up to 1 meter per minute, with a surveyor tracking elevation readings with a level throughout the cycle.
Once the technology is fully refined, NPS specialists will set up a test section of slab track at SablinoโTosno on the October Railway. There, under the load of passing Sapsan trains, theyโll put the entire track assembly through its paces, from foundation to rail slab.
P.S. Precision measured in millimeters.
๐ ๐๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
British architect Richard Rogers helped found high-tech architecture, building on Le Corbusierโs idea that โarchitecture is a machine for living.โ Londoners often mocked his buildings with irreverent nicknames, but even critics admitted his projects were genuinely innovative.
Rogers made his name turning buildings โinside out.โ With Renzo Piano, he designed Parisโs Centre Pompidou, its pipes, ventilation, and elevators exposed and color-coded by function, earning it the nickname โbowellism.โ Lloydโs of London got the same treatment, with all mechanical systems mounted outside its steel-and-glass frame.
His Millennium Dome resembles a flying saucer, its 12 yellow support towers standing 100 meters tall, one per month of the year. Terminal 4 at Madridโs Barajas Airport, with its wave-shaped roof covered in bamboo panels, cemented his reputation for mastering vast spaces.
Rogersโs honors include the Praemium Imperiale, the Pritzker Prize, and the Lรฉgion dโHonneur.
P.S. Function becomes the decoration.
๐ข ๐ง ๐จ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Rogers made his name turning buildings โinside out.โ With Renzo Piano, he designed Parisโs Centre Pompidou, its pipes, ventilation, and elevators exposed and color-coded by function, earning it the nickname โbowellism.โ Lloydโs of London got the same treatment, with all mechanical systems mounted outside its steel-and-glass frame.
His Millennium Dome resembles a flying saucer, its 12 yellow support towers standing 100 meters tall, one per month of the year. Terminal 4 at Madridโs Barajas Airport, with its wave-shaped roof covered in bamboo panels, cemented his reputation for mastering vast spaces.
Rogersโs honors include the Praemium Imperiale, the Pritzker Prize, and the Lรฉgion dโHonneur.
P.S. Function becomes the decoration.
๐ข ๐ง ๐จ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Whatโs hidden under the embankment of Russiaโs first high-speed rail line? Most of the ballastless track sits on subgrade, held to far stricter reliability standards than conventional railways given the immense loads involved.
Minimizing settlement is the hard part, especially through marshy sections.
NPS Group replaces weak soil with sand and, in tough spots, drives nearly a million piles 7-30 meters deep under geotextile. The embankment builds up in layers: frost-resistant sand, crushed stone-sand mix, and asphalt concrete, each checked for compaction every 100 meters with transport university specialists. The goal: a railway holding millimeter precision for fifty years.
A conventional railwayโs subgrade can shift up to 100 mm over 25 years; this line, running trains at up to 400 km/h, will hold deformation under 15 mm across half a century.
P.S. Millimeters underground, centuries ahead.
๐ค๏ธ ๐๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Minimizing settlement is the hard part, especially through marshy sections.
NPS Group replaces weak soil with sand and, in tough spots, drives nearly a million piles 7-30 meters deep under geotextile. The embankment builds up in layers: frost-resistant sand, crushed stone-sand mix, and asphalt concrete, each checked for compaction every 100 meters with transport university specialists. The goal: a railway holding millimeter precision for fifty years.
A conventional railwayโs subgrade can shift up to 100 mm over 25 years; this line, running trains at up to 400 km/h, will hold deformation under 15 mm across half a century.
P.S. Millimeters underground, centuries ahead.
๐ค๏ธ ๐๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
This spring, Helsinki opened Finlandโs longest bridge, with a name almost as long as the structure itself: Kruunuvuorensilta (โKruununvuoriโ meaning royal mountain, โsiltaโ meaning bridge).
The pedestrian span stretches 1,191 meters, rising 135 meters above the water, connecting the cityโs island and mainland districts. Its signature feature: no cars allowed, only pedestrians, cyclists, and trams, a fittingly green choice for a structure of this scale, and very on-brand for one of the worldโs most environmentally conscious countries.
Helsinki turned the bridgeโs opening into a full-blown celebration, drawing over 50,000 people, with crowns as the unofficial dress code. Residents no longer need to wait for a ferry to cross the bay, and the trip to downtown is now half as long.
P.S. The crown goes to pedestrians.
๐ ๐ ๐ถ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
The pedestrian span stretches 1,191 meters, rising 135 meters above the water, connecting the cityโs island and mainland districts. Its signature feature: no cars allowed, only pedestrians, cyclists, and trams, a fittingly green choice for a structure of this scale, and very on-brand for one of the worldโs most environmentally conscious countries.
Helsinki turned the bridgeโs opening into a full-blown celebration, drawing over 50,000 people, with crowns as the unofficial dress code. Residents no longer need to wait for a ferry to cross the bay, and the trip to downtown is now half as long.
P.S. The crown goes to pedestrians.
๐ ๐ ๐ถ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
A guided bus is a hybrid of a tram and a bus, running along a dedicated lane of concrete tracks bounded by curbs.
The technology emerged in Germany in the 1970s. Its German name, โSpurbus,โ combines โSpurโ (track) with the English โbus.โ
In its simplest form, the bus is fitted with guide rollers mounted near the front wheels, which keep the vehicle on track. The dedicated lane keeps it clear of traffic jams, while beyond that lane the vehicle drives like any ordinary bus.
Systems like this now operate in a number of countries, including France, Australia, and the UK.
P.S. The compromise cities were waiting for.
๐ ๐ค๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
The technology emerged in Germany in the 1970s. Its German name, โSpurbus,โ combines โSpurโ (track) with the English โbus.โ
In its simplest form, the bus is fitted with guide rollers mounted near the front wheels, which keep the vehicle on track. The dedicated lane keeps it clear of traffic jams, while beyond that lane the vehicle drives like any ordinary bus.
Systems like this now operate in a number of countries, including France, Australia, and the UK.
P.S. The compromise cities were waiting for.
๐ ๐ค๏ธ ๐
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Barrier guardrails are one of the oldest tools for road safety, keeping cars from crossing into oncoming traffic and stopping vehicles from flying into a ditch. Simple crash rails have evolved into smart systems that donโt just contain a vehicle but actively soften the impact.
Some Russian highways now use sliding central barriers, sections on rollers that shift aside to let emergency vehicles through or open a detour around a crash site. On one stretch, rotating barriers, yellow polyurethane foam drums, spin on impact instead of taking a direct hit, letting the car glide along as energy dissipates. This type can withstand a 15-ton bus hitting it at 74 km/h.
The newest development is a Russian energy-absorbing road module built into the guardrail, which deforms on impact to absorb the load, essentially an airbag mounted outside the car. Barriers using it can be built shorter without losing protective capability.
From simple crash rails to spinning drums and built-in airbags, thatโs an evolution hard to argue with.
P.S. Barriers change, safety stays.
๐ง ๐ ๐ก๏ธ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Some Russian highways now use sliding central barriers, sections on rollers that shift aside to let emergency vehicles through or open a detour around a crash site. On one stretch, rotating barriers, yellow polyurethane foam drums, spin on impact instead of taking a direct hit, letting the car glide along as energy dissipates. This type can withstand a 15-ton bus hitting it at 74 km/h.
The newest development is a Russian energy-absorbing road module built into the guardrail, which deforms on impact to absorb the load, essentially an airbag mounted outside the car. Barriers using it can be built shorter without losing protective capability.
From simple crash rails to spinning drums and built-in airbags, thatโs an evolution hard to argue with.
P.S. Barriers change, safety stays.
๐ง ๐ ๐ก๏ธ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
NPS Group has passed prequalification and been shortlisted in the tender for construction of Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia, a $12.5 billion project.
Located 40 km from Addis Ababa, the airport will become Ethiopian Airlinesโ primary hub, easing pressure on the overcrowded Bole International Airport.
NPS is the only Russian company shortlisted, alongside companies from China, Turkey, Italy, India, France, South Korea, Portugal, and the US, competing for four packages: the passenger terminal, support facilities, airfield infrastructure, and access roads.
Dmitry Bolotsky, Deputy CEO for Commerce at NPS Group, noted that the company brings substantial experience building and modernizing airports across Russia, including one of the countryโs major hubs, along with a one-of-a-kind elevated Aeroexpress terminal there. That expertise positions NPS to deliver infrastructure capable of meeting the transport sectorโs growing demands.
P.S. No project too big, no place too far.
โ๏ธ ๐จ๐ณ ๐๏ธ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
Located 40 km from Addis Ababa, the airport will become Ethiopian Airlinesโ primary hub, easing pressure on the overcrowded Bole International Airport.
NPS is the only Russian company shortlisted, alongside companies from China, Turkey, Italy, India, France, South Korea, Portugal, and the US, competing for four packages: the passenger terminal, support facilities, airfield infrastructure, and access roads.
Dmitry Bolotsky, Deputy CEO for Commerce at NPS Group, noted that the company brings substantial experience building and modernizing airports across Russia, including one of the countryโs major hubs, along with a one-of-a-kind elevated Aeroexpress terminal there. That expertise positions NPS to deliver infrastructure capable of meeting the transport sectorโs growing demands.
P.S. No project too big, no place too far.
โ๏ธ ๐จ๐ณ ๐๏ธ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_News
If a buildingโs fate were decided by looks alone, Belgiumโs Liรจge-Guillemins station could be hosting World Cup finals or launching spacecraft. Instead, thanks to architect Santiago Calatravaโs imagination, it welcomes millions of passengers rather than fans, and high-speed trains rather than rockets.
Built from steel, glass, and white concrete, its centerpiece is a rippling roof made of 39 arches reaching up to 40 meters high, with 32,000 square meters of glazing. Robotic cleaners keep it spotless, running along mini-rails built into the arches, while natural light and the airy dome give the interior an open, outdoor feel.
The station handles both domestic routes and international high-speed trains, connecting travelers to Brussels, Paris, Cologne, and Frankfurt.
P.S. Ordinary function, extraordinary ambition.
๐ ๐๏ธ โจ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained
Built from steel, glass, and white concrete, its centerpiece is a rippling roof made of 39 arches reaching up to 40 meters high, with 32,000 square meters of glazing. Robotic cleaners keep it spotless, running along mini-rails built into the arches, while natural light and the airy dome give the interior an open, outdoor feel.
The station handles both domestic routes and international high-speed trains, connecting travelers to Brussels, Paris, Cologne, and Frankfurt.
P.S. Ordinary function, extraordinary ambition.
๐ ๐๏ธ โจ
#PS_NPS
#NationalProjectConstruction
#PS_NPS_Explained