The Russian Armed Forces will soon receive the new NZhM-2020 floating railway bridge after it recently completed testing, Lieutenant General Oleg Kosenkov told the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
Kosenkov, who heads the Railway Troops Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, said the new bridge has higher load capacity and faster deployment speed than its Soviet predecessor. He added that introducing the equipment will allow bridges to be assembled in minimal time and carry heavy modern trains.
Kosenkov noted that the key feature of the new bridge is ensuring a smooth transition between the bank section and the floating section.
Technical Specifications
In October 2024, the newspaper Izvestia cited sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense reporting that testing of the NZhM-2020 floating railway bridge had been completed. The structure measures up to 285 meters in length and requires a pontoon bridge company for assembly.
Trains can cross the NZhM-2020 at speeds up to 15 kilometers per hour, while tracked and wheeled vehicles can travel across at speeds up to 30 kilometers per hour. The NZhM-2020 deploys one third faster than the NZhM-56 and NZhM-56U bridges, and it is standardized with the NZhM-56 model.
