Russia’s Northern Sea Route and Arctic Railway Corridor

Abstract

This paper aims to present the contents of the construction of the Northern Sea Route and Arctic Railway Corridor in Russia, and to provide prospects along with the limitations of this plan. The Russian President Decree, “On the Fundamentals of Russian Federation State Policy in the Arctic until 2035” defines the long term directions and priorities of the AZRF(Arctic Zone of Russian Federation) socio-economic development until 2035. The most important rail projects under active consideration in or near AZRF are a line connecting Sosnogorsk in the Komi Republic to the port of Indiga in the Nenets Autonomous Region etc. In addition to existing line, the Kremlin instructed the Russian government to submit proposals for the railway link, in 2022. This called for “proposals for the creation of a railway route to the Barents Sea in the area of the bay of the Indiga River”. However, Russia's ambitious plan to build an Arctic railway corridor has many problems that may arise in the implementation of the plan, including capital investment and environmental issues. Russia needs to work harder to secure confidence and create an international environment to promote long-term development, as Russia's Arctic development can also provide an excuse for NATO and the United States, which are concerned about Russian expansionism.