Prerequisites for the development of the transport system of the Siberian and Arctic zones of Russia: The North-Siberian Railway

Currently, the problem of substantiating a scientific approach to the spatial development and formation of production and organizational processes of the transport infrastructure of the Siberian and Arctic zones of Russia is being actualized. The development of oil and gas fields in the North, the intensification of the Northern Sea Route, the crisis problems of the coal industry and other sectors of the Siberian region, and complex international relations encourage us to explore, supplement, and adjust previously made decisions on the development of the transport network. There was a scientific and applied problem of pre-design research and scientific justification of the North Siberian Railway Nizhnevartovsk-Ust-Ilimsk included in the Railway Transport Development Strategy until 2030, with the addition of the western section to Sabetta, the eastern section from Ust-Ilimsk to Khrebtovaya – Ust-Kut, as well as Bely Yar – Tomsk – Yurga – Novokuznetsk – Tashtagol – Gorno-Altaysk – Urumqi, which allows creating infrastructural conditions for the development of the economy of Siberia, the Altai Republic and the formation of the Northern Belt of Economic Development of the country, which will facilitate the unloading of the Trans-Siberian Railway when its capacity is exhausted, as well as ensuring transport security of Russia and the strengthening of trade relations with the People's Republic of China. The aim of the project is to develop a scientific approach to the study of the production and organizational processes of the transport infrastructure of the North Siberian Railway. The article systematizes the aquaterritorial complexes, the proposed scientific and methodological approach makes it possible to conduct a comparative assessment of alternative options for organizing the construction of large-scale railway projects, their modeling based on pre-design studies and conducting a feasibility study. Within the framework of this study, a route scheme has been proposed that, when implemented, can ensure transport connectivity for all Siberian regions, expand opportunities for developing the mineral resource base, access to the Northern Sea Route and sufficient transportation capacity to bring products to the markets of China and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region. A forecast assessment of the potential cargo base has been made. In conditions of difficult mountainous terrain, it is proposed to build a railway along the M-52 highway from Gorno-Altaysk to Kosh-Agach with further access to Urumqi (China). The bypass of the Altai protected area and the direct border crossing between the Russian Federation and China are justified.

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