NERYUNGRI, Russia, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mechel OAO (NYSE:
MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announces that
on June 22nd at the 60th kilometer landmark of Verhny Ulak Station of
Baikal-Amur Mainline, together with Transstroy Engineering Corporation ZAO, a
ceremony for the railway construction start-up was held. This spur-track will
connect the Elga deposit with the Baikal-Amur mainline.
Construction of the spur-track to the Elga deposit started in February
2008 after the signing of the contract with Transstroy Engineering Corporation
for the design and construction of a spur-track to connect the Verhny Ulak
Station of Baikal-Amur Mainline with Elga coal deposit (Yakutia). The
contractors were previously rebuilding an auto-road near the track, subgrade
formation, track superstructures and engineering structures on 60 kilometers
of railway which was built by the Ministry of Communication Lines before 2002.
Designing, engineering and prospecting works as well as construction divisions
mobilization were also held there.
On June 22nd, the first section of the rail track was set at the 60th
kilometer landmark to the Elga deposit. The ceremony was attended by the
President of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Vyacheslav Shtyrov , Acting Governor
of Amurskaya Oblast Viktor Martcenko, State Duma Deputy, Chairman of the North
and the Far East Regions Problems Committee Valentina Pivnenko, management of
the Mechel Company headed by its CEO Igor Zyuzin and Transstroy Engineering
Corporation ZAO, representatives of the Khabarovskaya Oblast Government and
Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Government and heads of Zeysky and Neryungrinsky
Regions. Greeting telegrams from the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation
Government I. Sechin and Khabarovsky Region Governor V. Ishaev were also
addressed to the management of Mechel.
Igor Zyuzin, CEO of Mechel, and Ivan Kuznetsov, General Director of
Transstroy Engineering Corporation ZAO, cut a symbolical red ribbon and gave a
command to set the first section. The set of a silver section symbolizing the
beginning of the railroad construction was a culmination moment at the
Railroad Construction Opening Ceremony. The total length of the railroad will
be approximately 315 kilometers. The railroad's design comprises about 420
engineering structures, including 194 bridges. The railroad's throughput
capacity after completion of all construction stages will be approximately
25.0 million tonnes annually. Commissioning of the railroad for permanent
operations will be expected to commence before September 30, 2010.
