On November 15, the official start-up ceremony of the trunk-railway “Berkakit -

Tommot - Yakutsk” was held at the Nizniy Bestyakh Station. The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev extended thanks to all participants and constructors,

emphasizing that “this is the northernmost railway, becoming a part of the huge

Russian railway transportation system. It is of great significance not only for

the development of Yakutia, but of the whole Russia.” Moreover, he made a

point that the government has a large-scale plan to develop the railway network

in northern Russia, which must be realized within ten years.

After the ceremony, Medvedev joined the President of Yakutia Egor Borisov

and the Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin to visit Urasu, an

exhibition related to the railway construction “Berkakit Tommot Yakutsk.”

Later this day Minister Igor Levitin held an extended meeting on the

development of the transportation system of Sakha. He stated that the final

decision on the construction of a railway crossing the river Lena would be

made by the end of this year and the ground be broken in 2012.