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.[1] 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.[2] Like most railways in the former Russian Empire, it is built to Russian gauge.

Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Railway line in blue colour
A train on the Obskaya–Bovanenkovo railway

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

The railway is the northernmost railway in the world,[3] since Bovanenkovo is located at 70°22′30″N 68°40′12″E, farther north than the Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line, traditionally seen as 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
  1. "Obskaya – Bovanenkovo railroad". Gazprom. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  2. "Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Railroad, Russia". railway-technology.com. Kable. Retrieved 20 July 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Baffinland puts off iron mine's port and railway". CBC News. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2015.


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