Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line

The Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line is a 572-kilometre long (355 mi) railway line in northern Russia, built and owned and operated by Gazprom.[2] It was opened for traffic in 2010 and was built for the gas fields around Bovanenkovo on the Yamal Peninsula, the Yamal project. In February 2011, it was extended to the Karskaya station, making it 572 km long.[1] Like most railways in the former Russian Empire, it is built to Russian gauge.

Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line
A train on the Obskaya–Bovanenkovo railway
Overview
Native nameЖелезнодорожная линия Обская—Бованенково—Карская
StatusOperational
OwnerGazprom
LocaleRussia Far North
Termini
Continues asNorthern Latitudinal Railway
Stations11
Service
TypeFreight rail
Operator(s)Gazprom
Rolling stockTE33A[1]
History
Opened12 January 2010 (2010-01-12)
Technical
Line length572 km (355 mi)
Number of tracks1
Track gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11+2732 in) Russian gauge
Route map

km
678
Kharasavei
(under construction)
572
Karskaya
to Tambei/Sabetta (planned)
525
Bovanenkovo
438
Jasoveito
365
Sokhonto
333
283
224
193
to Novy Port (planned)
189
Pajuta
157
Skalnaya
110
90
Yamto (never built)
72
32
0
Obskaya
km
Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Railway line in blue colour

The railway contains a 3.9-kilometre long (2.4 mi) bridge, the Yuribey Bridge. It starts at Obskaya, branching off the Salekhard–Igarka Railway. The rail distance between Moscow and Bovanenkovo is 2,906 kilometres (1,806 mi).

There are plans to extend the railway to Kharasavey making the railway 678 kilometres (421 mi) long.[3] Another plan is to extend the railway to the Yamal LNG installations at Sabetta.[4]

Northernmost railway

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The railway is the northernmost railway in the world,[3] since Bovanenkovo is located at 70°22′30″N 68°40′12″E / 70.37500°N 68.67000°E / 70.37500; 68.67000, farther north than the Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line, previously the northernmost. Plans to construct a more northerly railway to serve the Baffinland Iron Mine in Canada[5] have been deferred.[6] Before completion of the railway to Bovanenkovo, the most northerly railway in Russia was the Norilsk railway. Due to all Russian railways being built to gauges other than standard gauge (usually Russian gauge, but a few narrow gauge lines also exist), the lines in Norway can however continue to claim being the northernmost standard gauge railway.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Railroad, Russia". railway-technology.com. Kable. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Obskaya – Bovanenkovo railroad". Gazprom. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b Staalesen, Atle (4 November 2011). "The world's northernmost railway line will be taken further". Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  4. ^ "More details announced for the Arctic Northern Sea Route expansion". Siberian Times. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Railway Gazette: Baffin Island arctic ore line advances". Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Baffinland puts off iron mine's port and railway". CBC News. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
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