Norilsk railway facts for kids
The Norilsk railway is a special train line in Russia. It connects the river port of Dudinka with important mining towns like Kayerkan, Norilsk, and Talnach. This railway also links up many ore mines and other businesses in the area. It's a very important way to move goods in this part of the world.
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What is the Norilsk Railway?
The Norilsk railway is a single-track line. This means it only has one set of tracks for trains to travel on. It's mostly used for carrying goods, not people.
How the Railway Changed Over Time
When the railway was first built, it was a narrow-gauge railway. This means the tracks were closer together, only about 1 meter wide. Later, the railway was rebuilt to use the standard Russian gauge, which is wider at 1.5 meters. This change allowed bigger and more powerful trains to use the line.
The railway also used to be electrified. This means trains got their power from electricity, usually from overhead wires. But in the 1990s, the electric system was removed. Now, the trains on this line run on diesel power.
Who Owns and Uses the Railway?
Today, the Norilsk railway is owned by a large mining company. This company uses the railway mainly to transport materials like ore and other goods from their mines and factories.
For a long time, the railway also carried passengers. But in the 1990s, a paved highway was built connecting Dudinka and Norilsk. After the highway was finished, people could travel by car or bus. Because of this, the Norilsk railway stopped offering passenger services. Now, it only runs freight trains, which are trains that carry goods.
How Long is the Railway?
The main line of the Norilsk railway is a bit over 100 kilometers long. But if you count all the different tracks that connect to mines and industries, there are actually over 300 kilometers of track in total!
See also
In Spanish: Ferrocarriles de Norilsk para niños
