Amur–Yakutsk Mainline

The Amur - Yakutian Mainline (Russian Амуро - Якутская магистраль, abbreviated AJAM, АЯМ ) is a railway line in Siberia, Russia, which the Trans-Siberian Railway ( Trans-Siberian ) and the Baikal - Amur Mainline (BAM ) to the south of the Republic of Sakha ( Yakutia) connects.

Designation

The name " Amur - Yakutian highway " is an unofficial name, but which is also used by official representatives of the Russian Railways; there is no state or private sector railway administration with this name, as it also was never a Trans-Siberian Railway in this sense, and since July 1996 are no Baikal - Amur Mainline more. The southern part of the route to Nerjungri is operated by the Far Eastern Railway, the section Berkakit / Nerjungri - Tommot by AG railways Yakutia (Russian ОАО АК Железные дороги Якутии, OAO AK Schelesnyje dorogi Jakutii ).

Route

Currently the route is 767 km long. It branches at the station Bamowskaja the west of the Amur Oblast of the Trans-Siberian railway to the north from ( 7273 line kilometers from Moscow). On the 179 kilometers to the Tynda Tukuringragebirge is crossed. After a 27 km long common section with BAM to Bestuschewo the route turns north again. In this area, the river is crossed twice Giljui. Shortly after reaching the territory of the Republic of Sakha is the summit of the Stanowoigebirges at about 1040 m above sea level. NN crosses under the 1300 m long Nagorny tunnel. Next, the route runs through the Aldanhochland, wherein the maximum height of about 1200 m above sea level. NN is achieved. Several major rivers, such as the Ijengra and Tschulman be - sometimes several times - crossed. The coal mining area around Berkakit and Nerjungri is achieved at the kilometer 400, the Regional Centre Aldan at kilometer 686 and the preliminary official endpoint Tommot at kilometer 767 Train Station Tommot is located on the western shore of the river Aldan, who crossed by the longest bridge in the distance will. 2006, the provisional freight to Verkhnyaya Amga ( Amga station, 869 kilometers ) was added, where the eponymous river is crossed.

The route is not electrified and single-track. Two tracks is just the common section with BAM Tynda - Bestuschewo.

During construction and operation, there have been the usual for railways in most parts of Siberia difficulties associated with permafrost and large temperature gradient between the winter ( below -50 ° C) and summer ( above 30 ° C), here in conjunction with some complicated topographical conditions, particularly in the area of ​​Aldanhochlandes.

History

The history of the railway line begins in the 1930s, when the spur track Bamowskaja - Tynda (then Tyndinski ) was established as part of the planned construction of the Baikal- Amur Mainline. This section was put into operation in 1935, but 1941/42, again dismantled, as set provisionally because of the war, the construction of the BAM and the rails for the new building near the front lines ( "Volga - castling " ) were needed.

Even before the Soviet leadership is re-recorded the construction of the BAM in early 1974 propaganda exaggerated ( " Building of the Century " ) was officially proclaimed, began on 5 April 1972, the work on the reconstruction of the section Bamowskaja - Tynda. The inclusion of the temporary operation on this now "Little BAM " mentioned route was in November 1976, and regular operation started in October 1977. Simultaneously the route continued to be built to the north, received the operation to Berkakit in October 1979, and later to Nerjungri.

As of 1989, the construction of the continuation of the line from Nerjungri initially towards Tschulman. Officially Federal car highway M56 " Lena"; Since that time, the name " Amur - Yakutian highway " for the route based on the "Baikal - Amur Mainline " and the road link Newer - Yakutsk, the " Amur - Yakutian car Magistrale " (unofficial is used) and also on the " main line " Bamowskaja - Tynda - Nerjungri, the former " Little BAM " extended. Starting point of the continuation is a turn a few kilometers before the previous endpoint Nerjungri Grusowaja ( goods station ). Gradual traffic was up Tschulman, Aldan and finally taken up Tommot ( first in each building and goods, then passenger traffic). The handover in the provisional operation of the entire route to Tommot took place on 24 August 2004. Since ( according to other sources since 2003 ) operates a daily passenger train pair Nerjungri - Tommot. Good 8 hours are needed for this 368 km long section. On 22 May 2006, the regular mode has been enabled on the route ( in passenger traffic to Aldan ).

The bridge over the Lena next to the largest in the catchment area of the track and here about 400 m wide river Aldan in Tommot was built in the 1990s, but will not be put into operation. A 60 km long section in addition was under construction before the ongoing construction mainly because of unexplained distribution of funding between the as AG - albeit state - run Russian Railways, the state- federal budget of Russia ( the " Investment Fund " ), own resources of the Republic of Sakha and potential private investors was interrupted.

As of 2005, the continued construction was then resumed. The tracks were laid in early 2007 to Karbykan ( construction train traffic); the currently still provisional freight ends in Amga. In August 2009, the tracks to 575 km (calculated from Berkakit, about 974 km of the total length ) have been published by Uluu. In July 2011, the laying of the track has progressed to about 50 km from Nizhny Bestjach. Bestjach were laid the first tracks in the presence of President Dmitry Medvedev in Nizhny On November 15, 2011.

Perspectives

The planning and design of continuation until shortly before Yakutsk have been completed. Not decided yet is only whether the route on the right bank of the Lena border near the village of Nizhny Bestjach or a bridge to be built across the river. Currently, there is no road bridge, and Yakutsk (the capital of the Republic of Sakha and largest city of northeastern Siberia ) is with the "outside world " only a ferry connected ( crossing takes 40 to 60 minutes; during Eisganges in spring and freezing in the fall not possible, in winter crossing over the frozen river ). In deciding for or against a bridge in the near future, both the question of cost and technical difficulties play a role: the Lena is here about 2 km wide, has also tributaries and flooded when the snow melts in the spring the valley to a width of up to 10 km.

In 2006 the construction of a combined railway and car bridge over the Lena at Yakutsk or 70 km was upriver again, where the valley is narrow, talking. This could now be completed by 2015. The commissioning of the railway line from Tommot to Nizhny Bestjach is planned in 2011. For the future, there are ideas for the continuation of the route eastwards into the Kolymagebiet and on to Chukotka to Magadan with branches, for example, but seem utopian from today's perspective.