Belarusian engineers have designed an alternative land-based route to the Northern Sea Route (NSR), aimed at faster, safer, and more cost-effective cargo transportation. The project envisions high-speed freight and passenger transport, offering an alternative to air and sea travel by combining speed and comfort.

Two versions were proposed. The first, Murmansk – Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, mirrors the NSR but runs across the Arctic mainland, enabling cargo delivery to ice-class ships and supporting the icebreaker fleet. The second version of the route, Arkhangelsk – Magadan, connects the NSR with the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways, linking distant regions and fostering international trade and investment.

Spanning 10,600 kilometres, this new route’s design implies transportation of up to 100 million tonnes of cargo annually. The concept includes a unique transport system called uST, featuring a membrane-based air tunnel to protect the trains from Arctic weather conditions, ensuring safe, high-speed travel even in extreme climates. Key features include automated management systems, specialised cargo trains, and modular passenger trains with aerodynamic designs.

The uST system will help create a unified industrial and transport network in the Arctic, supporting the development of the region while relying entirely on domestic technology. The steel infrastructure of the tunnel is designed to function effectively in sub-zero temperatures, making the project viable even in the harshest environments.

Source: Naked Science.

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