Krasnoyarsk’s ambitious rail projects derailed by soaring costs and low ridership
Plans for electric commuter trains to Sosnovoborsk and Zheleznogorsk, as well as an express rail link to Krasnoyarsk’s Yemelyanovo Airport, have been delayed due to cost and logistical issues. The projects, initially proposed in 2017, have seen their costs balloon significantly. The railway to Sosnovoborsk and Zheleznogorsk, owned by the Mining and Chemical Combine, is currently used exclusively for freight, making a passenger project unviable at this stage. Authorities had explored the idea of an electric train, calculating it could accommodate roughly six daily round trips to Sosnovoborsk and fewer to Zheleznogorsk. However, the Comprehensive Transport Infrastructure Development Program for the Krasnoyarsk Agglomeration, which included an electric train to Zheleznogorsk planned for completion by 2033, has faced delays. The cost of building the 34-kilometer road to Sosnovoborsk and Zheleznogorsk has ballooned to 14 billion rubles in 2023. Similarly, the last cost recalculation for the construction of a high-speed rail connection from Yemelyanovo Airport was made in August 2023, with the current estimated cost amounting to approximately 30 billion rubles, a significant increase from the initial estimate of 7.7 billion rubles in 2017. The head of Krasnoyarsk’s transport ministry cited the pioneering—but mixed—experience of other cities in implementing airport express projects, suggesting the costs and logistics are prohibitive, with ridership estimates too low. With the costs of these projects proving prohibitive, major transport plans, including the airport express project, have been shelved for objective reasons. The minister recommended using intercity buses and regional route No. 202 as alternatives to the airport express train, while plans for electric commuter trains to Sosnovoborsk and Zheleznogorsk remain under review.
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