Completion of the railway line Nadym - Pangody - Novy Urengoy - Korotchaevo

Transpolar highway
Project Status: 
Railway line along the Arctic coast of Russia
Достройка железнодорожной линии Надым — Пангоды — Новый Уренгой — Коротчаево

In 1997-2003, Lengiprotrans developed a project for the completion and reinforcement of sections of the Nadym - Pangody - Novy Urengoy - Korotchaevo railway line in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

The railway passes through the difficult natural and climatic conditions of the tundra and forest-tundra. The geotechnical conditions of the region, due to the presence of permafrost soils, are difficult. The security of sand and peat deposit construction for the construction and strengthening of the subgrade is uneven, but on the whole sufficient.

The railway section Novy Urengoy - Korotchaevo with a length of 74.4 km adjoins in the west to the dead-end line Nadym - Novy Urengoy, in the north - to the Novy Urengoy - Yamburg line, in the east - to the Tyumen - Surgut - Korotchaevo meridional highway and connects Nadym and Yamburg with the network Russian railways.

In May 1996, Lengiprotrans was given an assignment to develop a detailed design for completing the Novy Urengoy - Korotchaevo railway line, taking into account a significant reduction in traffic, by about 2.5 times. To develop a working project, the institute performed survey and measurement work on the line under construction.

The upper structure of the track is designed according to the norms of roads of the III technical category:
• asbestos ballast is preserved in areas where its thickness exceeds 40 cm under the sleeper;
• in the areas where the track is straightened, crushed stone ballast is used, bringing the total thickness to 40 cm;
• in areas where the subgrade is filled up in height, a two-layer ballast is used - crushed stone 20 cm under the sleeper and a sand cushion 20 cm.

Artificial structures are designed taking into account survey materials, acts of commission inspection of materials from bridge testing stations, etc.

Separate points, production, service and technical and residential buildings of all purposes are provided in the amount necessary to ensure the specified traffic sizes with the maximum use of the constructed buildings.

The Nadym-Pristan - Pangody railway section with a length of 114 km was built in 1971–1978 according to lightened standards for the development and operation of gas fields in the Nadym-Tazovsky region.

In 1983 Lengiprotrans developed a feasibility study for the completion of the railway. Throughout the entire length, it was planned to build a new railway line with the parameters provided for by SNiP for Category IV railways in the immediate vicinity of the existing line. In 1985, construction work began on the entire site. However, in 1988 the financing of the object was stopped and the construction was mothballed.

In 1996, Lengiprotrans was again given a task to develop a detailed design for the completion of the Nadym-Pristan - Pangody section of the sections: roadbed, artificial structures, superstructure of the track on the tracks and stations, as well as preparatory work related to these sections.

The working draft was drawn up on the basis of materials of measurements and surveys carried out by Lengiprotrans in 1996-1997. During the development of the working project, the survey materials of previous years and the project documentation for the completion of this line, developed in 1982-1988, were used. The working project includes all work not completed as of 01.01.1997.

The roadbed completion project provides for the following works:
• fill up the embankments and berms to the design outline;
• widen the embankments in areas with a narrowed main area;
• to develop excavations to the design outline;
• to reinforce the slopes of embankments and excavations with a peat-soil mixture;
• to carry out, in accordance with the project, the strengthening of the slopes from erosion by water flow with rocky soil with the laying of geotextiles;
• cut and clear, if necessary, drainage ditches;
• to reduce the effect of stagnant water on the subgrade in areas with permafrost subsidence soils at the base, fill in widened berms;
• in sand-covered areas adjacent to embankments, provide for measures to consolidate open sands.

The minimum height of the embankments was assigned on the basis of ensuring the strength of the main site, preventing snow and flooding by high waters. The width of the ground floor is 6 m. In areas where the roadbed of the track to be completed has been dumped, but the topside has not been laid, it is recommended in the project to cut the upper part of the embankment (lowering the longitudinal profile) so that the width of the remaining part of the embankment meets the regulatory requirements.

In total, the project provides for the construction and completion of 71 artificial structures on the site, including:
- culverts - 31 pcs;
- bridges - 40 pcs.

The detailed design was approved by the client, but not supported by construction funding. Certain types of work were carried out to ensure the movement of trains.