Vladimir Putin took part in the launching ceremony via video link
Russian President Vladimir Putin took part via videoconferencing in a ceremony for launching regular rail traffic on the Vykhodnoy-Lavna line in the Murmansk region, the Kremlin press office said.
The inauguration of traffic on the new railway bridge across Tuloma to the Port of Lavna took place as part of the 4th Railway Congress.
The test launch of the new Vykhodnoy-Lavna took place on December 9.
The Lavna seaport is one of the largest projects in the North-West of Russia. The territory of the port, which is located on the shores of the Kola Bay, is 120 hectares. The depths off the coast reach 15 m, which will allow the port to accommodate large tonnage vessels. The port has access to neutral waters, which opens a direct route for the export of Russian coal. A completely new port is expected to enter service in 2024 and reach a design capacity of 4 million tonnes of coal. The port projected annual capacity is 18 million tonnes after 2025 and onward.
PortNews has earlier reported, the project of nearby rail tracks to the Port of Lavna included the construction of a 46-km-long railway line, 11 artificial structures, as well as two traction substations. The construction is being implemented within the project “Comprehensive Development of the Murmansk Transport Hub” for the period of 2012-2024.