First Train Passes Through Russia’s Pacific Railway To Service Asia-Pacific Markets

Russia’s new Pacific Railway has opened, with the first test coal-laden train passing along the route. The laying of the new tracks has been fully completed, with the route expected to be fully operational next year. It has been designed exclusively for the transportation of coal from the Elga deposit in Yakutia to Port Elga in Khabarovsk, from where the raw materials will be exported to Asian countries.

Sinara Transport Machines, who built the rolling stock, said that “A TEM 14 (diesel locomotive with electric transmission, shunting) carried the first freight train on the Pacific Railway. The first trip was a test drive. TAM 14 did a great job: The first train, consisting of 20 gondola cars with coal and 2 passenger escort cars, traveled 531 km from the Elga station to the port at Cape Manorsky.”

The Pacific Railway has a total length of 531 km, with construction beginning in 2021. The line has a single-track design and includes 18 sidings. It was implemented using private funds and was developed specifically for the development of the Elginsky deposit in Yakutia and the export of Yakutia coal. In addition to the railway, a highway was built along with a new Port Elga.

That is located at Cape Manorsky in Tuguro-Chumikansky. The railway will be fully operational in Q1 2025, with a capacity of up to 50 million tonnes of cargo per year.

The Railway opens an additional outlet for the export of Yakut coal to the Asia-Pacific region. Also, it removes some of the load from other routes, freeing up more space on the BAM and Trans-Siberian routes.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, specifically for the implementation of the project, included part of the territory of Tuguro-Chumikansky and Ayano-Maysky districts in the Khabarovsk territory. This also gives Port Elga tax and customs privileges and administrative preferences to motivate its use. The status of a resident of the TOR will allow Port Elga to save significant funds due to tax benefits and administrative preferences. Currently, 109 residents are implementing investment projects in the Khabarovsk TOR with investments worth more than 367 billion rubles (US$3.6 billion).