On September 3, Oleg Belozerov, head of Russian Railways, announced that the completion of the Second Severomuysky Tunnel will increase freight traffic at the Eastern Landfill to 270 million tons by 2032.
Belozerov noted that shipments have nearly doubled over the past decade, currently standing at 180 million tons. To achieve the target, the tunnel is part of a third-stage development project designed to eliminate bottlenecks through key artificial structures including the Severomuysky Tunnel (15 km in length), Kodar and Kuznetsovsky tunnels, as well as a bridge over the Amur River.
The construction of the new tunnel will require approximately five years at modern technological standards. Belozerov described it as an “epochal event,” emphasizing that additional measures such as second tracks and electrification are also necessary.
On September 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the sinking of the Second Severomuysky Tunnel on the Baikal-Amur Mainline using four tunnel-boring complexes. The project is set to become Russia’s longest tunnel upon completion.
