Northern Latitudinal Railway

The Northern Latitudinal Railway (NLR) is a railway line under construction in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. It is 707 kilometres long, along the Obskaya - Salekhard - Nadym - Novy Urengoy - Korotchaevo route, which should link the western and eastern parts of the autonomous region, linking the Northern Railway in the east with Sverdlovsk Oblast. The project is run jointly by the Government of Russia, the governments of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, PJSC Gazprom, JSC Russian Railways, and Development Corporation JSC. The construction coordinator of the railway is the Federal Agency for Railway Transport (Roszheldor).[1] Construction of the NLR is planned to be carried out from 2018 to 2022.[2] The estimated volume of traffic at completion is 24 million tons (mainly gas condensate and oil cargo).[3] Initially, the highway was supposed to be laid by 2015, but due to the lack of a budget solution, the project completion dates dates were repeatedly postponed. In February 2017, the construction was announced to be completed in 2023. The project cost was estimated at 239 billion Rubles.[4]

The Northern Latitudinal Railway
Map of the Northern Latitudinal Railway
Overview
StatusUnder Construction
LocaleYamalo-Nenets Autonomous District,
Russia
Operation
Opened2023
Technical
Line length707 km (439 mi)
Track gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) Russian gauge

History

The Salekhard–Igarka Railway was built between 1947 and 1953. It was not completed, although parts remained in use for many years. The railway included a ferry over the Ob River and, in winter, used seasonal tracks laid on the ice.

After the railway west of Korotchaevo became unusable, the Yamal Railway Company was founded in 2003 and new road construction was planned.[5] In 2005, the development of industry and transport in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) and the Ural Federal District spurred the creation of the Ural Industrial-Ural Polar project; the name Northern Latitudinal Railway first appeared.

In 2006, the open joint-stock company Corporation Ural Industrial-Ural Polar was established to implement the project (since 2012, the OJSC Development Corporation).[6] Since 2008, the project has been included in Russia's Strategy for the Development of Railway Transport. It includes:

  • Construction of the Obskaya-2 station (PJSC Gazprom)
  • Construction of a combined bridge across the Ob River (Roszheldor)
  • Construction of the approaches to the Ob River bridge and the Salekhard station (government of the YNAO)
  • Construction of the 353-kilometre (219 mi) Salekhard-Nadym line
  • Construction of a bridge over the Nadym River (government of the YNAO)
  • Reconstruction of existing lines:

The Salekhard-Nadym line received preliminary approval in 2010. The line used reinforced concrete sleepers, in violation of permafrost construction standards.[7] In November of that year, a company was founded to oversee the railway's construction and operation.[8]

In July 2011, Deutsche Bahn and the Ural Industrial-Ural Polar corporation signed a cooperative agreement on the project.[9] In September of that year, the Ministry of Finance ruled that the Ural Industrial-Ural Polar project was too costly to implement.[10] On September 1, 2011, the YNAO began construction of a bridge over the Nadym River.[11] In December, the Czech company OHL ZS agreed to invest €1.95 billion in construction of the railway. An agreement was signed with Czech banks which provided €1.5 billion for construction.

It was announced in February 2014 that the design and estimate documentation for the Salekhard-Nadym section and approaches to the bridge across the Ob River in the Salekhard area was ready, and Gazprom and Russian Railways had included funds for the reconstruction of existing railway sections.[12][13] The entire project was approved in March 2015, including the Konosh-Chum-Labytnangi section. It was estimated that the railway would carry up to 23 million tons of cargo per year. On May 1 of that year, a station was opened in Novy Urengoy.[14]

On September 12, 2015, the automobile portion of the 14 billion, 1,300-metre (4,300 ft) bridge over the Nadym River was opened.[11] Although the railway portion of the bridge was expected to be completed in 2016,[15] in December 2015 the YNAO government opted to implement the Bovanenkovo-Sabetta railway project instead.[16]

In March 2016, the construction of second tracks on the Tobolsk–Surgut–Korotchaevo section of the Sverdlovsk railway was proposed for the following year.[17] On October 19, 2016, Russian Railways and the YNAO government signed an agreement for the NLR's construction.[18]

On May 11, 2018, Transport Minister M. Sokolov, Russian Railways director general Oleg Belozerov and YNAO head D. Kobylkin laid a time capsule in honor of the start of construction of a bridge across the Ob River, the first key part of the NLR.[19] Belozerov said, "Today we not only give a symbolic start to the construction of a bridge across the Ob, but we are also opening a new stage in the history of the development of Russian transport infrastructure ... The Northern Latitudinal Railway will change the picture of transportation in the whole country".[20]

Overview of construction impact

Russia has the largest known natural gas reserves, with about 25% of the world's total and has the eighth greatest amount of proven oil reserves. The largest reserves are in the Yamal Peninsula, more than 90% of Russia's natural gas being produced in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The region also accounts for 12% of Russia's oil production.[21] The Northern Latitudinal Railway will facilitate the shipping of oil and gas.

With the Arctic Ocean soon to be almost completely ice-free in summer and availability of Northern Sea Route, the railway will also help speed up the development of the country's Northern Sea Route infrastructure. The railroad will make conditions open to high-tech processing facilities on the Yamal Peninsula.[22]

The railline will remove infrastructure limitations by forging transport links between Yamal and European Russia's industrial facilities and ports.[1] It will also free up capacity on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and connect the Yamal Peninsula to the national and international rail network. this railway will connect the two northernmost railways in the world; Norilsk railway and Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line. it will also pave the way for connecting two navigable rivers in Siberia Ob River and Yenisei.

References

Notes
  1. Deutsche Bahn может стать акционером «Урала промышленного» через СП с РЖД
  2. ДВОРКОВИЧ ЗАЯВИЛ О НАЧАЛЕ СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА СШХ В 2018 ГОДУ ОАО «РЖД» и ПАО «Газпром» договорились о совместной реализации проекта по строительству Северного широтного хода
  3. "Russia signs decree on Northern Latitudinal Railway". Railway PRO. August 21, 2018.
  4. "Northern Latitudinal Railway concession signed". Railway Gazette International.
  5. Полярная магистраль (недоступная ссылка). Под ред. Т. Л. Пашковой. — М.: Вече, 2007. — С. 14. — ISBN 978-5-9533-1688-0.
  6. "Industrial Urals – Polar Urals to build $1.9bn Salekhard – Nadym railroad". Marchmont.ru.
  7. Ямальская дорога в зеркале мнений — Парламентская газета «Тюменские известия». old.t-i.ru. Проверено 5 марта 2016.
  8. Создается Специальная Проектная Компания (СПК) в целях обеспечения строительства и последующей эксплуатации Северного широтного хода «Обская — Салехард — Надым — Пангоды — Новый Уренгой — Коротчаево».
  9. http://www.ctu.kz/en/news/detail.php?ID=1423
  10. Правящая партия не получит денег на мост и дороги
  11. "Getting connected: new $200 million bridge 'brings Arctic closer'". siberiantimes.com.
  12. "Salekhard past present and future".
  13. "Industrial Urals – Polar Urals to build $1.9bn Salekhard – Nadym railroad". Marchmont. 10 Mar 2010
  14. http://www.arctic-info.ru/en/news/ekonomika/multi-functional_railway_station_in_novy_urengoy_is_open_to_passengers/
  15. На Ямале открыли мост через реку Надым — Информационно-развлекательный портал. miasta.ru. Проверено 5 марта 2016.
  16. Железнодорожная часть моста через Надым не будет построена в следующем году : Новости : Накануне.RU. www.nakanune.ru. Проверено 5 марта 2016.
  17. Транспортный вопрос. Вторые пути на линии Тобольск – Сургут – Коротчаево построят до 2017 года. sitv.ru. Проверено 5 марта 2016
  18. РЖД и правительство ЯНАО подписали соглашение о строительстве Северного широтного хода, ТАСС. Проверено 23 октября 2016.
  19. "Bridge over river Ob marks start of new grand railway project". The Independent Barents Observer.
  20. "Construction of Northern Latitudinal Railway to start in 2019". Railway Gazette International.
  21. "Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area". Kommersant. 2004-03-05. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
  22. "Trillions - Russia's Northern Latitudinal Railway (NLR) to Accelerate Siberian Economic Development". www.trillions.biz.
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