Railroad stations in Yakutia

A Swiss backpacker, who planned to travel across Yakutia and go back to Moscow by train, asked a few questions about availability of railroad stations in the region. My answer is following:

We have railways in the south part of the Sakha Republic. The rail road goes to Nerungri, Aldan and Tommot. The latter is the final destination. The mentioned locations have cargo and passenger stations.

By 2010 the railway is promised by authorities to come to Yakutsk, precisely the settlement of Nizhnyj Bestyakh located on the east bank of the Lena River. This sentence seems to be true. The construction of the railroad is currently taking place in the Amginsky region, just 4 hours by car away from republic’s capital. However, the further plan, to construct railway to Magadan, looks more as a dream.

So travellers may start a long-way journey by train from Tommot, Aldan and Nerungri. Locals prefer to choose Nerungri as the starting point. The reason is one. Not to waste time.

Taxi rates (if to go from Yakutsk)

The ride by train from Tommot to Nerungri takes 8 hours. Plus you need to reserve time for getting to the station, buying tickets, waiting for the train and boarding. Instead, it is more easily to reach Nerungri from Yakutsk by marshrutka (a sort of long-distance taxi). Just add another 4 hours to Yakutsk-Aldan driving. It is four hours required for driving from Aldan to Nerungri.

Taxi goes from Yakutsk to Nerungri daily, two times a day. 2800 rubles per person. Time on the route is 16 hours. Yakutsk - Tommot/Aldan will be for 2500 rubles per person and 12 hours on the route. That’s 2008-2009 winter rates. More info for rates is here.

Nerungri Railroad Station Info

For Moscow from Nerungri a train departs every odd day (i.e. 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc) at 5.00 am. A ticket costs 8600 rubles for a couchette and 3600 for berth (withour doors). The journey takes 126 hours.

The station has so-called sleeping rooms (komnata otdyha, in Russian). One night costs 611 rubles (approx. 21 USD / 17 EUR). Cheap, but not secure. Try not to spend nights in public places so to avoid your stuff thefts.

Train tickets are possible to purchase in Yakutsk and other major republic’s cities.