Ambitious plans unveiled for 250km/h train that would cut travel times and drive new business and tourism between two countries.

The head of Russian railways says he can live with sanctions over Crimea.

Move can boost tourism as free port and pacific capital Vladivostok opens up.

Proposals have been made for high speed trains to run on two routes between Omsk and Novosibirsk, and Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk.

Direct links from the eastern cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk are on the way, said Russian presidential adviser Igor Levitin.

Possible route could see 400km/hour bullet train pass through heart of Siberia and Altai region with stops in major cities.

Rare historic pictures show Russia's last tsar as the first builder of the Trans-Siberian Railway 125 years ago this month.

Major engineering achievement will connect Russia’s largest region to Moscow by train for the first time.

Modern-day zeppelins costing $30 million each would revolutionise transport links and economic exploitation of Siberia in $240 billion plan.