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The Amur–Yakutsk Mainline (russian: Амуро-Якутская магистраль, ), abbreviated to AYaM (
The line is single-track, excepting the double-track section from
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
АЯM), is a partially complete railway in eastern Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, linking the Trans–Siberian Railway and Baikal–Amur Mainline
The Baikal–Amur Mainline (russian: Байкало-Амурская магистраль, , , ) is a broad-gauge railway line in Russia. Traversing Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, the -long BAM runs about 610 to 770 km (380 to 4 ...
with the Sakha Republic.
Passenger services on the line go from Tynda
Tynda (russian: Ты́нда) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It is an important railway junction, informally referred to as the capital of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Its population has declined sharply in ...
to the town of Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (russian: Ни́жний Бестя́х; sah, Аллараа Бэстээх) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena Riv ...
, opposite the river from Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
. In November 2011, construction of the railway reached Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (russian: Ни́жний Бестя́х; sah, Аллараа Бэстээх) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena Riv ...
. The final step required to bring the railway into the city itself is a combined road and rail bridge, to be constructed upstream of Yakutsk where the river is narrower.
The railway via Nizhny Bestyakh is planned in the long term to form the start of a railway towards Magadan and possibly even across the Bering Strait.
Route
The line is single-track, excepting the double-track section from Tynda
Tynda (russian: Ты́нда) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It is an important railway junction, informally referred to as the capital of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Its population has declined sharply in ...
to Bestuzhevo, which is shared with the Baikal–Amur Mainline
The Baikal–Amur Mainline (russian: Байкало-Амурская магистраль, , , ) is a broad-gauge railway line in Russia. Traversing Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, the -long BAM runs about 610 to 770 km (380 to 4 ...
(BAM). The full length of the line is not electrified.
As in most of Siberia, the construction and operation of the railway are complicated by the large temperature variations, ranging from under in winter to over in summer, as well as the challenges of building on permafrost in difficult terrain.
The line currently has an official length of , branching from the Trans–Siberian railway at Bamovskaya station, near Skovorodino in Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast ( rus, Аму́рская о́бласть, r=Amurskaya oblast, p=ɐˈmurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East. The administrat ...
. The line continues north, joining the Baikal–Amur Mainline
The Baikal–Amur Mainline (russian: Байкало-Амурская магистраль, , , ) is a broad-gauge railway line in Russia. Traversing Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, the -long BAM runs about 610 to 770 km (380 to 4 ...
near Tynda
Tynda (russian: Ты́нда) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It is an important railway junction, informally referred to as the capital of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Its population has declined sharply in ...
and continuing along the BAM for before branching northwards at Bestuzhevo. The line in this section crosses the Gilyuy River
The Gilyuy (russian: Гилю́й) is a river in Amur Oblast, Russia. It is a right tributary of the Zeya, and is 545 km long, with a drainage basin of 22,500 km². The river has its sources on the southern slopes of the Stanovoy Mountain ...
twice. Shortly after entering the Sakha Republic, the line passes through the Nagorny tunnel under the Stanovoy Range
The Stanovoy Range (russian: Станово́й хребе́т, ''Stanovoy khrebet''; sah, Сир кура; ), is a mountain range located in the Sakha Republic and Amur Oblast, Far Eastern Federal District. It is also known as Sükebayatur a ...
.
In the highlands of southern Sakha Republic, the line crosses numerous further rivers, including the Iyengra and Chulman, before reaching the coal-mining area around Neryungri
Neryungri ( rus, Нерюнгри, p=ˈnʲerʲʊnɡrʲɪ; evn, Ньируунгра; sah, Нүөрүҥгүрү, ''Nüörünggürü'', ) is the second largest town in the Sakha Republic, Russia and the administrative center of Neryungrinsky Distr ...
at around . The settlement of Berkakit, situated south of Neryungri, was founded in 1977 as the base for the railway's operations in the south of the Sakha Republic. Berkakit is the official starting point for the current project to construct the railway to Yakutsk (officially referred to as the ''Berkakit–Tommot–Yakutsk Line''), and the majority of the town's workforce is employed either in management or maintenance of the railway.
To the north of Neryungri, the railway crosses the Aldan Highlands
The Aldan Highlands, or Aldan Plateau ( rus, Алданское нагорье, r=Aldanskoye Nagorye; sah, Алдан үрдэлэ) are a mountainous area in the Sakha Republic, Far Eastern Federal District, Russia. Aldan town and Tommot are l ...
, before reaching Aldan at kilometre 686, where the main offices of the Yakutia Railways are located. The current terminus of the operating section of the line is Tommot
Tommot (russian: Томмо́т; sah, Томмот) is a town in Aldansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the Aldan River (a right-hand tributary of the Lena) southwest of Yakutsk, the capital of the republic, and northeast o ...
, on the right bank of the Aldan River
The Aldan (russian: Алдан) is the second-longest, right tributary of the Lena in the Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.Verkhnyaya Amga (station simply named ''Amga''), where it crosses the
(1 July 2019)
/ref> The first train was welcomed into Kyordyom on September 25, 2010. The line to
Amga River
The Amga (russian: Амга; sah, Амма) is a river in Sakha (Yakutia), Russia. The length of the river is . The area of its basin is . The Amga freezes up in the first half of October and stays under the ice until May. Many different kinds ...
. Provisional goods services began to Amga in 2006, with construction trains travelling as far as Kharbykan.
Construction reached the settlement of Kerdyom, by the mouth of the Lyutenge on the Lena River, opposite the town of Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk (russian: Покро́вск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
;Urban localities
* Pokrovsk, Sakha Republic, a town under republic jurisdiction in Khangalassky District of the Sakha Republic
;R ...
, by 2008. From here, it was planned to start construction of a combined road and rail bridge across the Lena in 2009, in the area of the settlement Tabaga. The line was to continue to the city of Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
, with a passenger terminal to be built, and an extension to the river port.
With the expected difficulties in building a bridge across the more than 2 km-wide Lena, prone to massive flooding in spring and with moving ice during autumn, there has been much discussion of the rail head remaining on the east bank of the river, terminating in Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (russian: Ни́жний Бестя́х; sah, Аллараа Бэстээх) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena Riv ...
, across the river from Yakutsk. This section has been built, the connection over the river to Yakutsk city being postponed. The route via Nizhny Bestyakh will now form the beginning of any further extensions towards Magadan.
As of early 2014, there were twice weekly trains from Moscow and from Khabarovsk, ending at Neryungri. The travel time from Shturm (1st station of AYaM) to Neryungri (390 km) was 11 hours.
From 2019, there are passenger trains to Nizhny Bestyakh.Росжелдор издал приказ об открытии для постоянной эксплуатации участка Томмот – Нижний Бестях –Roszheldor issued an order to open for permanent operation of the Tommot - Nizhny Bestyakh section(1 July 2019)
History
Construction of the AYaM began in the 1930s, with the construction of the spur line from Bamovskaya toTynda
Tynda (russian: Ты́нда) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It is an important railway junction, informally referred to as the capital of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Its population has declined sharply in ...
(then known as Tyndinsky) as part of the planned construction of the Baikal–Amur Mainline
The Baikal–Amur Mainline (russian: Байкало-Амурская магистраль, , , ) is a broad-gauge railway line in Russia. Traversing Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, the -long BAM runs about 610 to 770 km (380 to 4 ...
. This section began operation in 1935, but was then dismantled in 1940-41 as the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
saw the BAM project cancelled and the rails were reused for other projects closer to the front.
Reconstruction of the Bamovskaya-Tynda section (known as the "Little BAM") began on 5 April 1972, almost two years before the government of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
announced the revival of the BAM project in 1974. The start of provisional services on the Little BAM began in November 1976, with full services in October 1977. At the same time, the line was extended northwards, the section Tynda–Berkakit opened in October 1979, extending as far as Neryungri
Neryungri ( rus, Нерюнгри, p=ˈnʲerʲʊnɡrʲɪ; evn, Ньируунгра; sah, Нүөрүҥгүрү, ''Nüörünggürü'', ) is the second largest town in the Sakha Republic, Russia and the administrative center of Neryungrinsky Distr ...
.
From 1989, construction recommenced from Neryungri
Neryungri ( rus, Нерюнгри, p=ˈnʲerʲʊnɡrʲɪ; evn, Ньируунгра; sah, Нүөрүҥгүрү, ''Nüörünggürü'', ) is the second largest town in the Sakha Republic, Russia and the administrative center of Neryungrinsky Distr ...
towards Chulman. This extension branches a few kilometers before the previous terminus of Neryungri-Gruzovaya (cargo terminal). Traffic was gradually extended to Chulman, Aldan and finally to Tommot
Tommot (russian: Томмо́т; sah, Томмот) is a town in Aldansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the Aldan River (a right-hand tributary of the Lena) southwest of Yakutsk, the capital of the republic, and northeast o ...
, firstly construction and cargo traffic, followed by passenger services. The complete section to Tommot was declared open on 24 August 2004. Since this date a daily passenger service has run between Neryungri and Tommot, covering the 368 Kilometer section in around 8 hours.
The bridge crossing the Aldan River
The Aldan (russian: Алдан) is the second-longest, right tributary of the Lena in the Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.Tommot
Tommot (russian: Томмо́т; sah, Томмот) is a town in Aldansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the Aldan River (a right-hand tributary of the Lena) southwest of Yakutsk, the capital of the republic, and northeast o ...
, at wide at this point the largest river on the planned route besides the Lena
Lena or LENA may refer to:
Places
* Léna Department, a department of Houet Province in Burkina Faso
* Lena, Manitoba, an unincorporated community located in Killarney-Turtle Mountain municipality in Manitoba, Canada
* Lena, Norway, a village in ...
, was completed in the 1990s, although not initially used. A further section of around 60 km was under construction when financial problems halted the project.
Construction resumed in 2005, with construction traffic able to operate through to Kharbykan by the start of 2007. Cargo traffic currently operates as far as Amga. In early 2009 the construction reached the dual settlements of Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk (russian: Покро́вск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
;Urban localities
* Pokrovsk, Sakha Republic, a town under republic jurisdiction in Khangalassky District of the Sakha Republic
;R ...
/Kyordyom, on the left and right banks of Lena respectively, some 78 km south of Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
.News report about the construction funding and status, in Russian/ref> The first train was welcomed into Kyordyom on September 25, 2010. The line to
Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (russian: Ни́жний Бестя́х; sah, Аллараа Бэстээх) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena Riv ...
was officially completed on November 15, 2011, with officials stating that a bridge across the river to Yakutsk would be constructed in the near future.
On July 27, 2019, passenger trains started to go to Nizhny Bestyakh.
Future planning
Lena crossing
Planning for the line almost as far asYakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
is complete, although there has been debate as to whether the line should end at the settlement of Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (russian: Ни́жний Бестя́х; sah, Аллараа Бэстээх) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena Riv ...
, on the opposite bank of the Lena River from Yakutsk, or whether a bridge (or possibly tunnel) should be built. The decision for or against a river crossing depends on a number of questions regarding both costs and engineering challenges. The Lena is at this point more than 2 km wide, has a number of side streams, and can flood the valley to a width of up to 10 km during the snowmelt in spring.
There is currently no bridge of any kind across the Lena in the Sakha Republic. Air travel is currently the only mode of transport to Yakutsk available year-round; land transport to the outside world is possible via ferry in summer, or by driving across the frozen river in winter. During spring and autumn, the moving ice on the river makes crossings impossible. The dual road-rail bridge would allow year-round land access to the city for the first time.
The site being considered is across a narrow section of the river near Tabaga, 40 km upstream from Yakutsk.
On July 14, 2010, in Moscow, a meeting was held to discuss the construction of a tunnel under the Lena river, instead of a bridge. Construction of a tunnel would be quicker and cost less than that of a bridge, as it would not be dependent on seasonal construction hampered by the river freezing over in autumn and breaking up in spring. The flooding situation of the river also makes the tunnel more attractive. However, the annual maintenance costs for a tunnel were estimated to be more than twice that of a bridge. Construction of a tunnel in permafrost also posed engineering challenges.
In July 2013, the federal road agency, Rosavtodor requested a tender to build a three-kilometer road-only bridge over the river connecting Yakutsk to the A360 Lena highway
A360 Lena Highway or The Amur-Yakutsk Highway (russian: Амуро-Якутская автомобильная дорога or russian: Амуро-Якутская автомагистраль) is a federal highway in Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in R ...
, expecting a cost of $1.7 bn/56 bn RUB, and a 6-year construction period. This was cancelled due to funding being transferred to the new Crimean Bridge
The Crimean Bridge ( rus, Крымский мост, r=Krymskiy most, p=ˈkrɨmskʲij most), also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge, is a pair of parallel bridges, one for a four-lane road and one for a double-track railway, spanning t ...
.
In 2015, it was reported that Chinese interests, including the China Railway Construction Corporation, China Development Bank and four other Chinese construction companies, had expressed interest in financing the construction of the bridge.
The head of Yakutia said in 2018 that construction could begin in 2020.
Eastwards
Future plans have been proposed for the extension of the railway line further to the east, towards the Kolyma region, Magadan and even Chukotka and aBering Strait crossing
A Bering Strait crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel that would span the relatively narrow and shallow Bering Strait between the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. The crossing would prov ...
which would link Russia with the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The Russian government in 2011 approved the construction of a US$65 billion Siberia-Alaska rail link and a tunnel across the Bering Strait. There are dreams among railroad enthusiasts about high-speed trains between Europe and the United States through Russia, but the Amur–Yakutsk Mainline is mostly too curvy to allow any high speed.
Plans were announced in May 2012 by the governor of Magadan Oblast to extend the railway 1800 km eastwards of Yakutsk to Moma and onwards to Magadan with construction scheduled to begin in 2016, according to the President of Yakutia. In 2016 the railway project was included in the Federal railway development strategy plan until 2030.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amur-Yakutsk Mainline Railway lines in Russia Rail transport in the Soviet Union Rail transport in Siberia Rail transport in the Sakha Republic