President Vladimir Putin has directed the government to study the feasibility of building the Northern Siberian Railway, following a high-level meeting with officials in August.
The planned route would link the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Ugra region with the Baikal-Amur Main Line and strengthen Russia’s northern rail network.
The Council of Ministers will engage with authorities in the Kemerovo region, representatives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Russian Railways to assess the project. A formal report to the president is expected by March 1, 2024.
The project is long in the making
The Sevsib concept was outlined in strategic planning for rail transport through 2030, approved in 2008. The plan proposed a 1,900 kilometer corridor from Nizhnevartovsk to Ust-Ilimsk via Bely Yar, with an additional 110 kilometer spur from the future Elchimo station to the Chadobetsky ore deposit.
Sevsib is described as a parallel route to the existing Trans-Siberian Railway to relieve current congestion and to integrate Siberia’s resource base into the broader production chain, as explained by the Russian Minister of Transport at the 2008 V Economic Forum in Krasnoyarsk. In Nizhnevartovsk, Sevsib was envisioned to connect with Belkomur, the proposed line linking Siberia and the Urals to the country’s northwest. Earlier estimates placed construction costs around 1.5 trillion rubles.
The project is seen as essential for expanding access from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug to western Siberia. It would not only improve cargo movement through Tyumen but also open routes to Arctic coal fields and ports in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. If the Northern Latitude Railway progresses alongside Sevsib, the combined network could become a crucial strategic artery for Russia’s north, as noted by industry analysts. This emphasis stretches the value of the corridor across the entire Far North region and reinforces the need to connect distant resource centers.
Experts also point out that Sevsib would support the development of northern industries and help synchronize rail infrastructure across the northern arc from Yamal to Murmansk, ensuring the corridor operates as a cohesive system once completed.
East training field expansion continues
The president also called for faster planning for upgrades to the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways, along with the West Siberian Railway, as part of the third stage of building the Eastern educational area. The second phase of expanding the eastern training ground is on track for completion in 2024 by Russian Railways. The upgrade is expected to raise storage capacity to 180 million tons, with a budget near 1.082 trillion rubles and the construction of 280 facilities through 2025. In the third phase, by 2032, capacity is projected to reach 255 million tons.