All railway supports of the Crimean bridge are ready. Construction of a railway in Crimea Crimean bridge what’s wrong with the railway
The contractor of JSC Russian Railways told when train traffic on the new Crimean Bridge will open. To date, a preliminary plan for the movement of various types of trains has been drawn up for the next two years - until 2020.
The railway service will be launched in test mode by the end of this year. The final project will be delivered by JSC Russian Railways to the customer FKU Rostransmodernizatsiya by the end of next year.
The railway part of the Crimean Bridge is almost ready
On June 4, we celebrated the completion of the first level of construction work on the railway part of the Crimean Bridge: all foundation piles were loaded. The second part of the project is generally 80% complete, and by the end of this month 307 supports will be ready. Also this fall, the tracks on the Taman Peninsula will be ready for the railway approach to the bridge, and on the peninsula they are preparing a double-track railway approach to it at 18 km. Workers are laying the rails in an innovative way: the connection will be seamless, and the trains will not be as noisy as they are now, and without vibration. That is why bridge workers among themselves already call the railway velvet.
At the next stage of construction, workers will erect spans and connect them with beams. More than 100,000 tons have already been erected, but another 160,000 tons need to be collected. And here, too, an innovative method is used - anti-seismic fasteners. As soon as work on the spans is completed, the railway will be covered with a 38-kilometer rail and sleeper grid. And finally, the time for the final stage will come: in the second half of 2019, they will begin operating the approaches from the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory with the railway part of the bridge.
The railway will be built in such a way that it will meet the requirements for category II tracks. A 40 km section will support trains up to more than 7 tons. Such trains can move at a speed of no more than 120 km/h.
It is reported that in 2020 it will be possible to achieve a record throughput of the railway section. Up to 47 trains of various types will move in two directions during the day. In the meantime, 15 passenger, 4 commuter and 10 freight trains will operate at first. By the end of the year, up to 15 million passengers and up to 16 million tons of cargo will be transported.
In 2018, with the participation of the Ministry of Economic Development of Crimea, a project of a direct railway from the bridge towards Simferopol across the Kerch Strait is being created.
An interdepartmental working group has already considered a project for the development of railways on the peninsula.
The project allows for the possibility of constructing a railway in a common corridor with the Tavrida highway. 
How will the railway work in Crimea?
This option has high social significance and undeniable economic advantages. Experts believe that the railway will receive the status of the shortest route between Simferopol and Kerch. This direction will also become part of the railway communication through the Kerch Strait.
The head of project management of the Rostransmodernizatsiya Federal State Institution reported that the railway is being built without joints. Rail strands with this construction method are several times longer than a standard rail (standard length: 25 meters).
The use of long rails reduces the number of joints on the railway track. Trains will move along it without the characteristic sound of wheels, almost silently and smoothly. According to a representative of the Rostransmodernization Federal Institution, such a road is convenient to operate, and its service life is noticeably increased. Designers call this path “velvet”.
At the same time as the railway tracks, the Taman-Passenger station was constructed. Trains will move through it in the direction not only Crimea and Krasnodar Territory, but regions remote from the southern part of Russia for thousands of kilometers.
In addition, the project includes the construction of several more junction railway stations intended for freight trains. The Dzhankoy station and the section of the road from Feodosia to Simferopol will be reconstructed. It is also planned to build and reconstruct carriage and locomotive depots, which are currently located in Feodosia and Simferopol.
The Russia Crimea railway from the Taman Peninsula has two tracks. It is formed by sleeper-rail structures up to eight hundred meters long. Sleeper-rail structures are laid on a specially prepared layer of crushed stone and sand, then connected to each other. Construction and installation are carried out along the entire route simultaneously.
According to the information center, right now the construction of the roadbed and embankment is 100 percent complete, and the construction of the upper track structure is at the completion stage. 130 turnouts have already been assembled, and more than two thousand catenary poles and reinforced concrete supports have been installed. Artificial structures have different levels of current readiness - from 60 to 100 percent. About a thousand workers work at the site, more than a hundred pieces of special equipment are involved.
The concept developers estimate the first phase of railway construction at 35 billion rubles. We are talking about the Simferopol - Kerch section. The section passes through Belogorsk and its length will be 215 kilometers. Money for construction is planned to be taken from extra-budgetary sources based on the issue of bonds or sponsorship agreements.
When will the opening take place?
According to the designers, the first stage is the launch of the Kerch-Feodosia railway line. Completion of construction is scheduled for 2018-2019. The length of the road is just over 94 kilometers. Then another settlement will be added (Simferopol), and the route will increase by 27 kilometers. By 2020, it is planned to launch railway stations, transport hubs and several new stations in these settlements.
The second stage of the project is the launch of the railway line - Simferopol - Bakhchisaray - Sevastopol. Its length will be slightly more than 120 kilometers. Also, as part of the second stage of construction, two small sections will be launched:
- Simferopol - Saki - Evpatoria;
- airport - railway station (Simferopol).
The second stage is planned to be completed by 2022.
The Crimean Railway company is preparing to operate the bridge from the end of 2019. The enterprise managed to prepare a train schedule for 2020, but for now it remains preliminary. Experts suggest that in the first year of railway communication between the continental part of the country and the Crimean peninsula, the road will be heavily congested. There will be 29 passages here in 24 hours. The main load on the railway tracks will come from short- and long-distance passenger trains. Commuter and freight trains will also pass through here daily.
The total capacity of the railway is 47 trains in any direction per day. We are talking about both passenger and cargo trains. This information was confirmed by one of the managers of the infrastructure projects department of the Stroygazmontazh enterprise.
As of August 19, 2018, construction work continues at full speed. What is happening today can be seen in the photo: 
P.S. As of November 23, 2018, the railway project on the approach to the bridge is changing its direction due to the discovery of the ancient Monitra estate. Read more.
After the opening of the road part of the Crimean Bridge, all the efforts of builders in the Kerch Strait were devoted to the construction of the railway component. The Crimean bridge for the railway will open in December 2019. Thus, the railway on the Crimean Bridge will be launched by the end of 2019 and according to the schedule the first trains will pass from the shore of Taman to Crimea
There will be two tracks across the strait with a capacity of up to 47 steam trains per day. The design speed of passenger trains is 120 km/h, freight trains are 80 km/h.
When will the Crimean Bridge open for trains, latest news
Now specialists are preparing the last supports, and the assembly of the spans is in full swing. Their total weight is almost 160 thousand tons, which is 1.5 times more than the road part of the structure.
Under each support there are from six to 95 piles, just like under a road bridge, some of them are driven into the ground vertically, some at an angle. Inclined piles will increase the stability of the bridge in the event of an earthquake.
One railway span weighs 580 tons and consists of 40 elements, which are connected by welding and high-strength bolts. Such spans are placed on supports, the distance between which does not exceed 65 meters. The peculiarity of the railway bridge is its smooth rise to the arch above the fairway.
Each subsequent support is approximately half a meter higher than the previous one. The railway bridge is gradually “growing”: from 5 meters it begins to rise higher and higher on the island of Tuzla, so that towards the sea section the height of the supports reaches almost 17 meters, and further - 35 meters above the fairway of the Kerch-Yenikalsky Canal, says the head of the technical service company "SGM-Most" Yuri Beskov. “Such a smooth rise will ensure comfortable and safe entry of passenger and cargo trains onto the arched span, under which ships can freely pass.
In parallel with the work in the Kerch Strait, construction of a railway is underway on both banks. 40 kilometers of new tracks will appear on the Taman Peninsula, and 17.5 kilometers on the Crimean Peninsula.
The railway approaches will be put into operation simultaneously with the railway part of the Crimean Bridge in 2019, the Crimean Bridge information center reports.
The grandiose construction of the Kerch Bridge, which will unite the mainland with the peninsula, should be completed in the spring of 2018. Every day it takes on the concrete and clear outlines of a building preparing to be put into use. Builders received instructions to begin laying asphalt concrete on the road arch. In addition, lights were installed throughout the entire bridge, which will soon be connected to the power grid. The asphalt will be laid in several stages, which will be durable and safe for moving vehicles, the site reports. The first layer has already been made in accordance with absolutely all generally accepted scientific and technical standards. And in a few days it will be possible to begin work on laying the 2nd layer. The thickness of the total coating will be 12 cm.
When will the bridge to Crimea be opened for Russian Railways trains: the history of attempts to build the Kerch Bridge
The idea of building such a project was created back in the last century, during the period of the Russian Empire, when the state was ruled by Nicholas II. The first drawings appeared around 1910, but construction did not begin due to the First World War. Afterwards there was an attempt to return to the construction of the structure in the 30s, during the reign of Joseph Stalin. The leader of the USSR had a secret dacha in Crimea. But the main reason was the desire to build a railway across the Kerch Strait, which was strategically important. But unfortunately, this time the construction was prevented by the Second World War. Already in 1944, a railway bridge was built very quickly, in about 7 months, which had to be dismantled due to the destruction of the supports by ice from the Sea of Azov. This project was difficult. Based on certain circumstances, it was decided to use a drawing of a bridge 19 kilometers long. Through the Tuzla Spit. The bridge will contain 4 tracks, 2 in each direction, along which cars can travel at a speed of 120 km/h. And also 2 tracks for railway transport.
When will the bridge to Crimea be opened for Russian Railways trains: transition to the final stage of construction
The improvement of the bridge has entered its final stage. The external barrier fencing is undergoing welding work. As soon as the road surface is ready, construction workers will begin constructing a barrier along the construction strip.
“The asphalt paving area on the arch is not small – approximately 4.6 thousand square meters. meters. Thus, laying the bottom layer of asphalt approximately takes up to 6-7 hours. Then there are 2 days of waiting and the next layer continues to be laid on top,” Dmitry Kondakov, the chief director of the SGM-Most company, shared the data.
According to preliminary data, the area of the Crimean Bridge route has already been prepared by three quarters. The total scope of all work is 80% completed. This includes: applying road markings, completing small defects, and bringing individual elements to their logical conclusion.
When will the bridge to Crimea be opened for Russian Railways trains: brief safety information
This structure belongs to the strategically important ones, therefore, it is guarded around the clock by reinforced security of specialized services of the Russian Federation.
“The security forces are ready for any threats and attempts to attack the Crimean Bridge. The following areas are under control: the waters of the Kerch Strait, the airspace above this territory. And at the moment, this construction is a priority in the likely national counteraction to terrorism,” said FSB head Alexander Bortnikov.
The Crimean Bridge began construction back in 2015. The cost of construction of this structure is approximately 223 billion rubles. Currently, construction is at the final stage. The installation of spans for cars has been completed. Road traffic on the bridge was to be opened in December 2018, and railway traffic by December 2019. But after a visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the builders said they would try to start traffic on the bridge in May 2018. Such a construction became possible thanks to the annexation of the peninsula to the Russian Federation in 2014. The head decided to fulfill this promise to the people living in Crimea, in order to support people in such a difficult and transitional period.
When will the bridge to Crimea be opened for Russian Railways trains: to the sea - by sea
At the end of February, construction began on the most significant bridge for the Russian Federation - the 19 km long crossing across the Kerch Strait. Rosavtodor has already provided permission to start work. The bridge should be ready by the end of 2018. And already in the summer, a huge number of Crimean lovers will come on vacation by car or train, bypassing the ferry crossing. Cars and trains will be able to travel up to 120 kilometers per hour. Freight trains up to 80 km. Cars and trains will not interfere with each other. The bridge consists of two parallel structures - for road and rail traffic, connected by a common design and technical scheme.
The construction project of the Crimean Bridge provides that its automobile component will go into operation in December 2018. The launch of traffic on the railway part of the bridge is scheduled for December 2019.
The start of the bridge's operation should open a new page in the life of the Crimean Railway, which is currently undergoing a period of large-scale modernization.
Kyiv left Crimea, taking wagons and locomotives
The railway came to Crimea in 1874, when train traffic from Melitopol to Simferopol was opened.
All the main branches connecting the peninsula with other regions of the country went through Ukraine. This most logical option turned into a problem after the Crimean spring and the return of the peninsula to Russia, when official Kyiv headed for a transport blockade of Crimea.
To begin with, the Ukrainian authorities tried to remove all movable property. Analysts at the Kyiv Center for Transport Strategies reported in March 2014 that the new Ukrainian authorities tried to remove everything newer, including ChS7 passenger locomotives, track machines and new series of cars.
The Gudok newspaper, citing its sources, reported that former head of the Simferopol locomotive depot Viktor Mandyk Even on the eve of the referendum, he drove the newest locomotives 2TE116 and ChS7 to Melitopol, quit his job and left for Dnepropetrovsk. As a result, in the spring of 2014, Crimean railway workers had to use ChS2 locomotives produced in the early 1960s to provide passenger traffic.
The difficult legacy of the Ukrainian period
In Ukraine, for more than three years they have been fond of talking about “colossal losses incurred as a result of the annexation of Crimea.” In fact, the situation is the opposite - throughout the entire period of independent Ukraine, the infrastructure of the peninsula, created during the Soviet period, was destroyed with the complete indifference of the Kyiv authorities.
The Crimean Railway is no exception. Russian specialists received the farm in a terrible state.
In October 2014, specialists from Russian Railways and Goszheldornadzor, who assessed the Crimean railway, concluded that the KZD infrastructure, namely the superstructure of the tracks and turnouts, was in an unsuitable condition. On many sections of the railway, experts from the supervisory agency recommended reducing the speed of trains to 40, 25 and even 10 kilometers per hour. Only at this speed limit was it possible to ensure safe movement.
It was necessary to almost completely change the rolling stock, modernize existing lines and build new ones.
Transport blockade
From that moment on, messages “There is no more railway in Crimea!” began to appear regularly in the Ukrainian media. or “The transport blockade made the Crimean train stations empty.”
The cessation of the movement of passenger and freight trains through Ukraine, of course, had a negative impact on the life of the Crimean railways.
But, on the other hand, every cloud has a silver lining. The reduction in traffic made it possible to prepare in freer conditions for a new stage in the life of the Crimean Railway. A stage that will begin in December 2019.
Back in 2014, the Moscow-Simferopol passenger train was launched, which went to the peninsula via a ferry crossing. This practice is not new - some trains from the eastern regions of the RSFSR in the Soviet years moved to Crimea through the ferry crossing. However, now, after several months of working according to this scheme, it was decided to abandon this practice. Transporting tourists with a single ticket on buses from the railway stations of Anapa and Krasnodar turned out to be faster and easier than using a ferry to transport passenger trains.
Large construction site
Therefore, the restoration of the movement of freight and passenger trains to Crimea will occur after the launch of the Crimean railway bridge.
In addition to the work being carried out in Crimea, as well as the construction of the bridge itself, no less significant tasks are being solved by railway builders in Taman.
From Vyshesteblievskaya station, construction is underway on a 42-kilometer section that will lead directly to the bridge. The Kerch section from Bagerovo station to the bridge will be 17.8 km.
The construction of the section on the Taman Peninsula was envisaged during the construction of the Taman port and included the construction of a new Portovaya station 8 km from the transport crossing. A Taman-passenger station is planned near the village of Taman. On the Kerch section, passing through Cementnaya Slobodka, a branch to the Kerch-Yuzhnaya station and the creation of a new park are provided. Also on this site it is planned to build four overpasses, two bridges and a tunnel.
24 hours from Moscow to Simferopol
Until recently, skeptics expressed doubts about whether the intentions of the Russian authorities are realistic? But the pace of construction of the Crimean Bridge, the successful implementation of the most complex operation of transportation and installation of railway and automobile arches, indicate: when people work and do not reason, almost everything is doable.
Summer 2017 General Director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Crimean Railway" Alexey Gladilin stated that for the trains that will go to Crimea after the opening of the bridge, it is planned to purchase 800 cars, most of them are double-decker sleeping cars in a compartment design.
Speaking in Alushta at the IV Crimean Transport Forum, Gladilin said: “It is planned to purchase 15 pairs of passenger trains. Moreover, they will be distributed as follows: two trains each to Sevastopol, Evpatoria and Feodosia, the rest to Simferopol.” The approximate travel time of the train from Simferopol to Moscow will be from 24 to 28 hours.
In the future, it is planned to make the railway route to Crimea a high-speed one, reducing travel time from the capital to Simferopol to 18 hours.
The launch of passenger trains to Crimea is only the first stage of the new life of the peninsula’s railways. But, probably, it will make sense to talk about the future later, as plans turn into real actions.
