Norilsk railway: a lifeline amid bleak tundra

Norilsk railway is one of the most extreme transport routes in the world. Built amid stern tundra, the road connects the mining cities of Norilsk and Talnakh with the port city of Dudinka on the Yenisei river.

Located far above the Polar circle, the railroad is a peculiar example of an isolated line, disconnected from the rest of Russia’s rail network.

The climate of Northern Siberia is extremely harsh. Winters here last for 8 or 9 months. Temperatures below -40 C and strong winds make life almost unbearable, but railway employees have to work outdoors in such conditions.

The railway starting point is the port city of Dudinka. Dockside cranes are removed from the quay at times of high water.

For more then 20 years I dreamed about making the journey to Norilsk railway,” says Sergey Bolashenko, a Russian railway enthusiast, who has traveled on almost all of Russia’s railways.

“This mysterious isolated line in the Far North, thousands of miles away from the mainland, sparked my imagination.”

For more than 20 years Sergey has been making precise photo reports of Russian railroads. He recalls his trip to the Norilsk line in June 2010 as one of the most inspiring.

The first narrow-gauge line was constructed here in the 1930s, when the Soviet government decided to found the Norilsk mining company. In the early 1950s it was transformed into a 1520 mm standard Russian gauge line.

Most of the laborer who built it were GULAG prisoners, who were delivered by ship to the port city of Dudinka on the Yenisei river. // Surroundings of Skladskaya station outside Norilsk

Locomotives and cars were sent via the same route as the line did not have any connections to the mainland.

Stalin planned to extend the polar railway to connect the strategically important Norilsk mining enterprise to Moscow, but the plans fell apart after his death in 1953.//A view of Norilsk

In the late 1960s the line was electrified, making way for a regular passenger service.

The new suburban trains were highly appreciated by the locals, especially in winter when motor traffic is frequently interrupted by heavy snowfall.

But in 1998 the passenger trains were cancelled as Norilsk mining company considered them loss-making. //Thermal power station outside Norilsk

Electric propulsion was dismantled, since the railroad owner opted for diesel operation instead.// Golikovo station outside Norilsk

One can still see the hulls of suburban trains along the railroad. There are no local black metal processing plants, while shipment to the mainland is too expensive.

The endpoint of the railroad is the mining city of Talnakh.