It was announced that second railroad track from Tuapse to Adler will be constructed in the event Sochi will become 2014 Winter Olympics host city. “Vesti” news agency quotes head of North-Caucasus Rail Roads: “Today, the Tuapse-Adler track practically exhausted its carrying capacity and requires additionally financial investments”.
What we have today is this: a single track with a few “pockets” where trains can stop to let another train to pass by. This track is running along the sea shore, as you can see on the picture below, and in many places too close to beaches and hotels, thus creating too much noise for tourists’ comfort. And it probably isn’t very ecological either. The availability of only a single track also limits number of people can get in and get out of the city. The problem is especially hot in the end of August, when students and families with children have to get back home by September 1st, when a new school year starts in Russia. Often those tickets are sold out way in advance, and the only alternative, an expensive one for students and people traveling together in groups, is an airplane ride.
Picture from Azur.ru
So, it’s definitely one of the things needed if they plan to go ahead with the current city development plans. However, I hope they do it away from the sea shore, even though it will be more expensive and tourists won’t be able to enjoy the same nice view they do now coming in and leaving the city..
Another thing head of North-Caucasus Rail Roads reveiled in his interview was that elevated railway is currently considered for the new track between train station in Adler and the airport, about which I also wrote before. This is definitely a good idea, because any more railroad crossings will create bad jams on the Adler roads.