THE CITY

[as of 11.2005]

Achinsk is a city in the Krasnoyarsk Kray (Region). The population was 121 600 people in 2001, but this number is slowly subsiding. The outpost Achinskiy Ostrog was established in 1641 at the near-by river Beliy Ilyus. After the fire in 1683, the settlement was moved to the current location on the river Chulym, near the merger with the smaller river Achinka. Thus, 1683 is commonly cited as the date of the formation of the settlement. Achinsk gained the status of the city in 1782. The city is located 3820 km. east of Moscow, and 184 km. west of the regional capital, Krasnoyarsk.

The small and decrepit old town of Achinsk is mostly a cluster of shabby wooden houses. The newer Achinsk is built to the south of the original town, it mostly consists of very soviet standard apartment blocks constructed around 1960/1970s as a part of the planned industrialization of the region, and with the construction of the gigantic industrial park dominated by the giant peat-processing combine, the AGK. The highly polluted industrial area is located farther south, separately from the residential area.

Unlike some other formerly heavily industrial towns in Russia, local factories turn out relatively vital products and most of the industry is still operational.

HISTORY OF NETWORK'S DEVELOPMENT

[05.2005]

15.04.1967 - the first section opened, from Obuvnaya Fabrika to AGK.
???? - from the main line to ZFA.
???? - from Obuvnaya Fabrika to Kinoteatr "Sibir".
Late 1980s - from ZFA to Mazul'skiy Rudnik (single track, one passing point).
2001/2002 - closure of the line from ZFA to Mazul'skiy Rudnik.

NETWORK DESCRIPTION

[09.2004]

The network is maintained by the local giant peat-processing plant. It is built to deliver workers from the city to the plant. All tracks are practically 100% on the reservation, but the line is not built to the high speed Light Rail standards as some similarly arranged town-to-plant Russian systems are.

Trams only serve the newer Achinsk, which consists of apartment blocks that generate adequate ridership. The line ends abruptly at the fringes of the old town.

Most of the city section of the tramway line is built via long Kravchenko Ul. which stretches along the endless rows of soviet-style buildings.

The industrial areas offer the ugliest scenes of human hegemony over nature even by Russian standards. Two tramway lines enclose the huge plant on both sides. Line 1 to AGK serves the main gate. Line 2 to ZFA is supplemental service to the back service installations of the industrial complex.

The section between the city and the industrial park is peculiarly rural in its character, considering that it runs through the region where nature is practically rooted out.

ROUTES

[09.2004]

1 Kinoteatr "Sibir" - AGK
2 Kinoteatr "Sibir" - ZFA

Until the mid-1990s Line 2 used to operate the deserted areas beyond the industrial park, it went to the decrepit and scarcely populated slums Mazulskiy Rudnik.

Shuttle Line 3 used to serve the Mazulskiy Rudnik extension from the mid-1990s until it was suspended in 2001/2002 due to lack of ridership.

SERVICE

[09.2004]

The service is reliable and predictable, although trams operate with longer frequencies and with lesser number of coupled pairs than before, during the better days, when local industry functioned at full pace. Trams are still popular and do not face any competition. Single cars are in operation most of the time, aided by 7 two-car trains on Line 1 during the morning rush hour, and one train during the evening rush hour.

The main Line 1 operates on short headway with meticulous regularity. During peak hours there is always "the next" tram in sight.

Line 2 operates on a long headway, mostly through the extent of the workday, operation ceases after 18:00. It is operated with single cars only.

Before closure Line 3 operated via a single-track section of the network by a single train consisting of two cars coupled back-to-back. Such operation was necessary, as the ZFA loop was not built to accommodate a turnaround for cars coming from the south, only the ones coming from the city.

ROLLING STOCK

[01.2001, Aare Olander]

There are 76 trams on the property.

All KTM-5M3, numbered:
1-6, 8-11, 13-16, 19, 21, 22, 24-29, 31, 34-42
44-46, 48, 49, 51-79, 83-90, 93

[01.2003, Aare Olander]

58 trams from the list remain on the property, The newest ones are 10 and 11, delivered in 1992. There were no deliveries ever since.

Trams appear to be in relatively fair condition. All trams, with exception of 52 and 62, carry some sort of advertisement. Car 62 carries signs "Achinsk 1683-2004". Car 52 marks the... 37th anniversary of local tramways.

RIGHT-OF-WAY

[09.2004]

The city section via most of Kravchenko Ul. is down-the-median semi-mixed alignment, i.e. it is not physically separated from automobile traffic, but is practically impossible for cars. Near Gagarina Ul. the tram line switches to the side-of-the-road and continues so all the way to the industrial complex.

Within the industrial park, the main line goes on the side of the road. Near the terminal the line technically enters the combine's territory, although the gate is located next to the loop. Line 2 goes through rugged terrain amid various industrial developments in the back of the combine.

Line 3 to Mazulskiy Rudnik used to be a single-track line. When the shuttle service was introduced in the mid-1990s, the loop at the end of the line was not needed and eventually dilapidated to the point that it was no longer useable. Thus, the stub-end evolved in the middle of the track, prior to the loop. Although the entire line was less than 2 km. long, there was one passing point in the middle of the line. By 2004 all tracks of Line 3 were lifted.

TRACKS

[09.2004]

The total length of trackage (one-way) is 26,5 km. All tracks are in good condition, allowing for relatively high speeds.

NETWORK'S FUTURE

[09.2004]

As many factories continue to function, although at lesser pace than before, tram operation seems to be stable. In the early 1990s there were plans for two additional extensions - into the old town, to Mikrorayon Privokzalniy in the vicinity of the railroad station, and to Yuzhnaya Promzona (the Southern Industrial Park), but these never materialized.

© 2002 Author: Yury Maller
Content: Yury Maller, Aare Olander
Presentation: Stefan Mashkevich
Usage of material found herein is permitted provided the source is mentioned. Usage for public display is possible with authors' permission only.
Last update 10-Dec-2005