Severomuysky Tunnel

The Seweromuisker tunnel (Russian Северомуйский тоннель ) with 15,343 m is the longest railway tunnel in Russia. It lies on the Baikal - Amur Mainline in the Republic of Buryatia and performs the Seweromuisker mountain range, which is also its name to the tunnel. The tunnel was completed in March 2001 after 24 years of construction.

Description

Construction of the tunnel began in 1977 and was delayed again and again - for example due to extremely difficult seismic conditions or simply lack of money. To the east of the tunnel in the direction Tynda to ensure the transport of material for the further construction of the Baikal - Amur Mainline and ensure targeted for 1984 completion of the through route track, from 1982 to 1983 a first 27 km long tunnel bypass route was built. The practice of setting up temporary diversion routes was also common in almost all other BAM tunnels. Since this route was very steep (on wide sections gradient of 4%), a regular operation, however, was difficult and passenger after the Soviet regulation not allowed. After another long-term delay loomed by a catastrophic flooding during tunneling, therefore a further 54 km long bypass route with gradients up to 2%, which leads mostly through rough, mountainous terrain, has many, sometimes very sharp curves and in many places on high came to 1989 viaducts and in turn by several to more than 2 km long tunnel runs. The 1982-1983 built the first detour route was abandoned. Although built to 1989 second bypass line was also electrified later, the ride was extremely time-consuming - for passenger trains 54 km needed two and a half hours - and because of possible avalanches also dangerous. Were correspondingly high maintenance costs for this segment.

In total, around 8,000 people were involved in the laying of the tunnel. During the construction several different propulsion techniques have been tested and applied. Parallel four ventilation ducts have been drilled to a depth from 170 to 350 meters for the ventilation of the tube.

The tunnel was put into regular operation on 21 December 2003. The journey thus shortened at the Seweromuisker leg to 15 minutes. The operation is controlled by a specially set up control center.

The built until 1989 second bypass route is to relieve the single-track tunnels still in use for freight.

Map

The following map shows the tunnel as well as the discontinued first bypass line from 1982-83 ( marked A ) and the second bypass line ( marked B ):