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{{Short description|Railway line in Ukraine and Belarus}}
{{Infobox rail line
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 300px
| box_width = 300px
| name = Chernihiv–Ovruch railway
| name = Chernihiv–Ovruch railway
| other_name =
| other_name =
| native_name = {{lang-uk|Дільниця Чернігів–Овруч}} <br> {{lang-ru|Участок Чернигов–Овруч}} <br> {{lang-be|Ўчастак Чарнігаў–Оўруч}}
| native_name = {{langx|uk|Дільниця Чернігів–Овруч}} <br> {{langx|ru|Участок Чернигов–Овруч}} <br> {{langx|be|Ўчастак Чарнігаў–Оўруч}}
| native_name_lang =
| native_name_lang =
| color =
| color =
Line 15: Line 16:
| type = [[Commuter rail]]
| type = [[Commuter rail]]
| system =
| system =
| status = Partially active (84,4&nbsp;km)
| status = Partially active (84.4 km)
| locale = [[Ukraine]], [[Belarus]]
| locale = [[Ukraine]], [[Belarus]]
| start = [[Chernihiv]], Ukraine
| start = [[Chernihiv]], Ukraine
Line 21: Line 22:
| stations =
| stations =
| routes =
| routes =
| ridership =
| daily_ridership =
| ridership2 =
| ridership2 =
| open = {{Start date|1930|<!--MM-->|<!--DD-->|df=y}}
| open = {{Start date|1930|<!--MM-->|<!--DD-->|df=y}}
Line 36: Line 37:
| depot =
| depot =
| stock =
| stock =
| linelength_km = 177,5
| linelength_km = 177.5
| linelength_mi =
| linelength =
| tracklength_km=
| tracklength_km=
| tracklength_mi=
| tracklength_mi=
| tracklength =
| tracklength =
| notrack =
| tracks =
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1520mm}} ([[5&nbsp;ft and 1520 mm gauge railways|Russian]])
| gauge = {{track gauge|1520mm}} ([[5&nbsp;ft and 1520 mm gauge railways|Russian]])
| ogauge =
| old_gauge =
| lgauge =
| load_gauge =
| minradius =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| racksystem =
| routenumber =
| routenumber =
| linenumber =
| linenumber =
| el = 25 kV 50 Hz AC (84,4&nbsp;km)
| electrification = 25 kV 50 Hz AC (84,4&nbsp;km)
| speed_km/h =
| speed_km/h =
| speed_mph =
| speed_mph =
Line 62: Line 61:
}}{{Ovruch to Chernihiv Line}}
}}{{Ovruch to Chernihiv Line}}


The '''Chernihiv–Ovruch railway''' is a partially electrified<ref name=radrailaboard>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part10.html "All Aboard for Chernihiv" (Radiocative Railroad)]</ref> [[Single track (rail)|single track]] rail that connected the town of [[Ovruch]] and the city of [[Chernihiv]], in northern [[Ukraine]], passing through southern [[Belarus]] and the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]].
The '''Chernihiv–Ovruch railway''' is a partially [[Railway electrification system|electrified]]<ref name=radrailaboard>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part10.html |title="All Aboard for Chernihiv" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127065222/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part10.html |archive-date=2015-11-27 |url-status=live }}</ref> and partially operational [[Single track (rail)|single track]] railway line that stretches between the town of [[Ovruch]] and the city of [[Chernihiv]], in northern [[Ukraine]], passing through southern [[Belarus]] and the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]]. The line is owned by [[Ukrainian Railways|Ukrzaliznytsia]] alone, with railway stations located in Belarus being leased from the [[government of Belarus]]. A portion of the line between railway stations [[Vilcha railway station|Vilcha]] and Semykhody has not been in service since the [[Chernobyl disaster]], on 26 April 1986.


==History==
==History==
Line's construction started in 1928, as part of modernization and development program of the [[Southwestern Railways]] ({{lang-uk|Південно-Західна залізниця}}). It was opened, for passenger traffic, in 1930.<ref>{{ru icon}} ''Юго-Западная железная дорога. Вчера. Сегодня. Завтра'' ("Southwestern Railways: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"). 244 pp., [[Kiev]], «Transport of Ukraine» 1995. ISBN 5-7707-7927-6</ref><ref name=radrailovchelink>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part4.html "The Ovruch to Chernihiv Rail Link" (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref> Partially abandoned after the [[Chernobyl disaster]] of 1986, it works in its eastern section, between [[Chernihiv]] and Semikhody, a terminus station near [[Pripyat]] serving the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]]. This line section was electrified in 1988.<ref>[http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/ukraine/ukraine.gif Railway map of Ukraine and Moldova showing rail traction]</ref><ref>{{ru icon}} [http://infojd.ru/ost_el.html "Island" electrified lines in the countries of the former Soviet Union]</ref>
The line's construction started in 1928, as part of a modernization and development program of [[Southwestern Railways]] ({{langx|uk|Південно-Західна залізниця}}). It was opened for passenger traffic in 1930.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} ''Юго-Западная железная дорога. Вчера. Сегодня. Завтра'' ("Southwestern Railways: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"). 244 pp., [[Kyiv]], «Transport of Ukraine» 1995. {{ISBN|5-7707-7927-6}}</ref><ref name=radrailovchelink>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part4.html |title="The Ovruch to Chernihiv Rail Link" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125214756/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part4.html |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref> Partially abandoned after the [[Chernobyl disaster]] of 1986, it works in its eastern section, between [[Chernihiv]] and Semikhody, a terminus station near [[Pripyat]] serving the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]]. This line section was [[Railway electrification system|electrified]] in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps%2Fukraine%2Fukraine.gif |title=Railway map of Ukraine and Moldova showing rail traction |website=www.bueker.net |access-date=2019-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406182239/http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps%2Fukraine%2Fukraine.gif |archive-date=2018-04-06 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{in lang|ru}} [http://infojd.ru/ost_el.html "Island" electrified lines in the countries of the former Soviet Union] ''infojd.ru''{{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120723101318/http://sbchf.narod.ru/ost_el.html |date=2012-07-23 }}</ref>


==Route==
==Route==


===Chernihiv-Slavutych-Pripyat===
===Chernihiv-Slavutych-Pripyat===
The line starts at the [[Chernihiv railway station|central station]] of [[Chernihiv]], capital of the [[Chernihiv Oblast|homonym oblast]], located on [[Minsk]]-[[Gomel]]-[[Kiev]] line. After 2 minor stops within the city, it passes through some villages of [[Chernihiv Raion]]. At [[Zhukotki]] station started a (now closed) branch to [[Karkhivka]] and Zhidinichi. 36&nbsp;km after Chernihiv the line reaches [[Slavutych]], a city built in 1986 for the refugees from Pripyat and [[Chernobyl]]. [[Slavutych railway station|Its station]] replaced the pre-existing "Nerafa", demolished to build a larger station for the new city.<ref>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part9.html "Reborn in Slavutych" (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref>
The line begins at the [[Chernihiv railway station|central station]] of [[Chernihiv]], capital of the [[Chernihiv Oblast]], located on the [[Minsk]]-[[Gomel]]-[[Kyiv]] line. After two minor stops within the city, it passes through a few small villages in [[Chernihiv Raion]]. At [[Zhukotky]] station began a now closed [[Branch line|branch]] to [[Karkhivka]] and Zhydinychi. {{convert|36|km|mi|abbr=on}} after Chernihiv the line reaches [[Slavutych]], a city built in 1986 for the refugees fleeing the [[Chernobyl disaster]]. [[Slavutych railway station|Its station]] replaced the pre-existing "Nerafa", demolished to build a larger station for the new city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part9.html |title="Reborn in Slavutych" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125225659/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part9.html |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref>


After the stops of Poselok Lesnoi, in Slavutych, and [[Nedanchychi]], in [[Ripky Raion]], the line enters in [[Belarus]], in the [[Gomel Region|Oblast of Gomel]], passing on the [[Dnieper]] river. The station of Iolcha is the only one working, on the line, in Belarusian territory. It serves the villages of [[Staraya Iolcha]], [[Novaya Iolcha]], [[Krasnoe, Brahin District|Krasnoe]], and the near town of [[Komarin]], all in [[Brahin District|Brahin Raion]]. After Iolcha, the line enters in the [[Polesie State Radioecological Reserve]], created to enclose the territory of Belarus most affected by [[radioactive fallout]] from the Chernobyl accident, through three abandoned stations.
After the stops in Lisnyi (in [[Slavutych]]) and [[Nedanchychi]] (in [[Chernihiv Raion]]) the line enters [[Belarus]]' [[Gomel Region|Oblast of Gomel]], passing over the [[Dnieper]] river. The station of Iolcha is the only functioning stop working on the Belarusian part of the line. It serves the villages of [[Staraya Iolcha]], [[Novaya Iolcha]], [[Krasnoe, Brahin District|Krasnoe]], and the near town of [[Kamaryn]], all in [[Brahin District|Brahin Raion]]. After Iolcha, the line enters in the [[Polesie State Radioecological Reserve]], created to enclose the territory of Belarus most affected by [[radioactive fallout]] from the Chernobyl accident, through three abandoned stations. The first one, [[Kaporanka|Kaporenka]], was the interchange point (in {{langx|ru|Пересадочная}}, "Peresadochnaya")<ref name=swr/> of an abandoned [[Siding (rail)|siding]] to a decontamination park.
The first one, [[Kaporanka|Kaporenka]], was the interchange point (in {{lang-ru|Пересадочная}}, "Peresadochnaya")<ref name=swr/> of an abandoned [[Siding (rail)|siding]] to a decontamination park.


The line enters again in Ukraine, joining [[Ivankiv Raion]], in [[Kiev Oblast]], and the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone|Exclusion Zone]]. After [[Zymovyshche|Zimovishche]] it passes on [[Pripyat River]] and a branch to the new Semikhody terminal station.<ref name=lostplaces>[http://lplaces.com/en/reports/108-zone "The Pripyat Railway Bridge" (Lost Places)]</ref> Built in 1988, is a terminus that substitutes Semikhody stop, on the main line, and the endpoint of the electfication and passenger service. Located in front of the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear plant]], close to the [[New Safe Confinement]], serves plant's workers and is the only working station of [[Pripyat]].<ref name=radrailcnpp>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part11.html "Trains in the Exclusion Zone" (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref><ref name=radrailmap>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/places.html Ovruch-Chernihiv line scheme (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref>
The line then reenters Ukraine, joining [[Vyshhorod Raion]], in [[Kyiv Oblast]], and the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone|Exclusion Zone]]. After [[Zymovyshche]] it passes over the [[Pripyat River]] and past a branch to the new Semikhody terminal station.<ref name=lostplaces>[http://lplaces.com/en/reports/108-zone "The Pripyat Railway Bridge"] (Lost Places)</ref> Built in 1988, the Semikhody station is a terminus that substitutes Semykhody stop, on the main line, and is the endpoint of the electrification and passenger service. Located in front of the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear plant]], close to the [[New Safe Confinement]], the terminus serves workers and is the only working station in [[Pripyat]].<ref name=radrailcnpp>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part11.html |title="Trains in the Exclusion Zone" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125225748/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part11.html |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=radrailmap>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/places.html |title=Ovruch-Chernihiv line scheme |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121154441/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/places.html |archive-date=2015-11-21 |url-status=live }}</ref>


Continuing on the main line, it is a first industrial siding for the Chernobyl Plant and, after the so-called ''[[Pripyat|Bridge of Death]]'', a second siding, just before [[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv]], the main station of Pripyat. The industrial line, which runs a loop around the nuclear plant passing between the 4 [[Nuclear reactor|reactors]] and next to the [[cooling pond]], is partially active because it allows goods and materials to be moved around the plant.<ref name=radrailcnpp/>
Continuing on the main line, it passes the first industrial [[Siding (rail)|siding]] for the Chernobyl Plant and, after the so-called ''[[Bridge of Death (Pripyat)|Bridge of Death]]'', a second siding, just before [[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv]], the main station of Pripyat. The industrial line, which runs a loop around the nuclear plant passing between the 4 [[Nuclear reactor|reactors]] and next to the [[cooling pond]], is partially active because it allows goods and materials to be moved around the plant.<ref name=radrailcnpp/>


===Pripyat-Vilcha-Ovruch===
===Pripyat-Vilcha-Ovruch===
[[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv station]], located between the [[Yaniv (village)|homonym village]] and the southern suburb of [[Pripyat]], was an important passenger hub before the nuclear accident. It is the nearest station to [[Chernobyl]] town, located 18&nbsp;km south, town, and nowadays is a railroad graveyard, with a high number of abandoned trains, and one of the tourist sights of Pripyat. The station, refurbished in the 2010s, is used by workers of the society "Chornobylservis" ({{lang-ua|Чорнобильсервіс}})<ref name=lostplaces/> for fixing heavy machinery.<ref name=radrailyaniv>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part6.html "Permanently Contaminated: The Railroad Graveyard" (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref><ref>[http://lplaces.com/en/reports/9-yaniv "Railway station Yaniv" (Lost Places)]</ref><ref>[http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/yaniv-train-station-pripyat "Yaniv Train Station - Pripyat" (UrbanX)]</ref>
[[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv station]], located between [[Yaniv (village)|Yaniv village]] and the southern suburb of [[Pripyat]], was an important passenger hub before the nuclear accident. It is the nearest station to [[Chernobyl]] town, {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} south, and nowadays is a railroad graveyard, with a high number of abandoned trains, making it one of the tourist sights in Pripyat. The station, refurbished in the 2010s, is used by workers of the society "Chornobylservis" ({{langx|uk|Чорнобильсервіс}})<ref name=lostplaces/> for fixing heavy machinery.<ref name=radrailyaniv>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part6.html |title="Permanently Contaminated: The Railroad Graveyard" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125233254/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part6.html |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lplaces.com/en/reports/9-yaniv |title="Railway station Yaniv" |website=Lost Places |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125225235/http://lplaces.com/en/reports/9-yaniv |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/yaniv-train-station-pripyat |title="Yaniv Train Station - Pripyat" |website=UrbanX |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125225354/http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/yaniv-train-station-pripyat |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref>


After leaving Pripyat, the line continues in a forested area, highly contaminated in several points. It is rarely used by freight trains serving the nuclear plant and passes several villages as [[Buriakivka, Ivankiv Raion|Buriakivka]], known for its large vehicle graveyard, full of abandoned radioactive machineries.<ref>[http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2009/10/chernobyl-rescue-operation-the-vehicle-graveyard/ "Chernobyl Rescue Operation: The Vehicle Graveyard" (Urban Ghosts)]</ref> After [[Tovstyi Lis]] the line runs along the border between the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone#10-kilometre and 30-kilometre Zones|"10-km" and "30-km" zones]] and enters [[Poliske Raion]]. It reaches the ghost town of [[Vilcha, Kiev Oblast|Vilcha]], 17&nbsp;km north of [[Poliske]], today one of the checkpoints to the Exclusion Zone. This section of the line is the most decrepit, with the track invaded by [[vegetation]] and the [[station building]]s mostly in ruins.<ref name=radrailmap/><ref>[http://irpa11.irpa.net/pdfs/2e6.pdf "Securing the Chornobyl exclusion zone against illegal movement of radioactive materials"] ([[International Radiation Protection Association|IRPA]])</ref>
After leaving Pripyat, the line continues through a forested area, highly contaminated at several points. It is rarely used by freight trains serving the nuclear plant and passes several villages, such as [[Buriakivka, Vyshhorod Raion|Buriakivka]], known for its large vehicle graveyard full of abandoned radioactive machinery.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2009/10/chernobyl-rescue-operation-the-vehicle-graveyard/ |title="Chernobyl Rescue Operation: The Vehicle Graveyard" |website=Urban Ghosts |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126043414/http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2009/10/chernobyl-rescue-operation-the-vehicle-graveyard/ |archive-date=2015-11-26 |url-status=live }}</ref> After [[Tovstyi Lis]] the line runs along the border between the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone#10-kilometre and 30-kilometre Zones|"10-km" and "30-km" zones]] and enters [[Vyshhorod Raion]]. It passes through the ghost town of [[Vilcha, Kyiv Oblast|Vilcha]], {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of [[Poliske]], today one of the checkpoints to the Exclusion Zone. This section of the line is the most decrepit, with the track invaded by [[vegetation]] and the [[station building]]s mostly in ruins.<ref name=radrailmap/><ref>[http://irpa11.irpa.net/pdfs/2e6.pdf "Securing the Chornobyl exclusion zone against illegal movement of radioactive materials"] irpa.net {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125224128/http://irpa11.irpa.net/pdfs/2e6.pdf |date=2015-11-25 }} ([[International Radiation Protection Association|IRPA]])</ref>


Leaving Vilcha, the line enters in [[Narodychi Raion]] of [[Zhytomyr Oblast]]; and after [[Racha, Ukraine|Racha]] (or Radcha), the line reaches [[Ovruch Raion]]. It crosses several villages and ends at [[Ovruch]] [[Ovruch railway station|station]], on the line linking [[Mazyr]] to [[Korosten]]. The Vilcha-Ovruch section, ''[[de jure]]'' operating but ''[[de facto]]'' abandoned, has no passenger services since 1986; and [[Vilcha station]] was still opened until 2013.<ref name=radrailmap/><ref>[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part7.html "Abandoned: The Radioactive Railroad" (Radioactive Railroad)]</ref><ref>[http://lplaces.com/en/reports/62-zona "On "diesel engine" on the Zone" (Lost Places)]</ref>
Leaving [[Vilcha, Kyiv Oblast|Vilcha]], the line enters [[Narodychi Raion]] of the [[Zhytomyr Oblast]] and after [[Radcha, Zhytomyr Oblast|Radcha]], the line reaches [[Ovruch Raion]]. It crosses several villages and ends at [[Ovruch]] [[Ovruch railway station|station]], on the line linking [[Mazyr]] to [[Korosten]]. The Vilcha-Ovruch section, ''[[de jure]]'' operating but ''[[de facto]]'' abandoned, has had no passenger services since 1986. [[Vilcha station]] was open until 2013.<ref name=radrailmap/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part7.html |title="Abandoned: The Radioactive Railroad" |website=Radioactive Railroad |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125230003/http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/part7.html |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lplaces.com/en/reports/62-zona |title="On "diesel engine" on the Zone" |website=Lost Places |access-date=2015-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125230400/http://lplaces.com/en/reports/62-zona |archive-date=2015-11-25 |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Train services==
==Train services==
Until 1986 the entire line was served by regional and long-distance trains, as the [[Moscow]]-[[Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine|Khmelnytskyi]] express service.<ref name=radrailovchelink/><ref name=radrailyaniv/> Current passenger services includes the following trains:
Until 1986, the entire line was served by regional and long-distance trains such as the [[Moscow]]-[[Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine|Khmelnytskyi]] express service.<ref name=radrailovchelink/><ref name=radrailyaniv/> Current passenger services include the following trains:


{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
Line 95: Line 93:
|-
|-
|Regional
|Regional
|[[Chernihiv]]-[[Slavutych]]-[[Novaya Iolcha|Iolcha]]
|[[Chernihiv]]-[[Slavutych]]-[[Iolcha]]
|not all stations served, the [[Nedanchychi]]-Iolcha service, passing [[Belarus–Ukraine border|the Belarusian border]], is limited.<ref name=swr>{{ua icon}} [http://swrailway.gov.ua/timetable/eltrain/?did=7&even=2&tid=0&bold=1 Southwestern Railway timetable for Chernihiv-Iolcha service]</ref><ref name=radrailaboard/>
|With not all stations served, the [[Nedanchychi]]-Iolcha service, passing [[Belarus–Ukraine border|the Belarusian border]], is limited.<ref name=swr>{{in lang|uk}} [http://swrailway.gov.ua/timetable/eltrain/?did=7&even=2&tid=0&bold=1 Southwestern Railway timetable for Chernihiv-Iolcha service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208063917/http://swrailway.gov.ua/timetable/eltrain/?did=7&even=2&tid=0&bold=1 |date=2015-12-08 }}</ref><ref name=radrailaboard/>
|-
|-
|Regional
|Regional
|[[Slavutych]]-[[Pripyat|Semikhody]]
|[[Slavutych]]-[[Pripyat|Semikhody]]
|non-stop train, for [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant|Chernobyl Plant]]'s workers<ref name=radrailaboard/>
|Non-stop train, for [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant|Chernobyl Plant]] workers<ref name=radrailaboard/>
|}
|}


==Popular culture==
==In popular culture==
Ovruch station was mentioned in the book ''The Truce'' ({{lang-it|La tregua}}, 1963), by the Italian writer [[Primo Levi]]. It was a stop on his crooked way home from [[Auschwitz concentration camp]] to [[Turin]], in 1945.<ref>{{it icon}} [http://www.primolevi.it/Web/Italiano/Contenuti/Biografia/120_I_luoghi/La_deportazione_e_il_ritorno/Ovruch "Ovruch" on primolevi.it]</ref><ref>[[:commons:File:Cartina La tregua - Primo Levi.gif|See map on Commons]]</ref><ref>''La Tregua''. [[Giulio Einaudi|Einaudi]], Turin, 1963 - ISBN 0-349-10013-6</ref>
Ovruch station was mentioned in the 1963 book ''[[The Truce]]'' ({{langx|it|La tregua}}), by the Italian writer [[Primo Levi]]. It was a stop on his roundabout 1945 trip from the [[Auschwitz concentration camp]] to his home in [[Turin]].<ref>{{in lang|it}} [http://www.primolevi.it/Web/Italiano/Contenuti/Biografia/120_I_luoghi/La_deportazione_e_il_ritorno/Ovruch "Ovruch"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817083821/http://www.primolevi.it/Web/Italiano/Contenuti/Biografia/120_I_luoghi/La_deportazione_e_il_ritorno/Ovruch |date=2016-08-17 }} primolevi.it</ref><ref>[[:commons:File:Cartina La tregua - Primo Levi.gif|See map on Commons]]</ref><ref>''La Tregua''. [[Giulio Einaudi|Einaudi]], Turin, 1963 - {{ISBN|0-349-10013-6}}</ref>

Yaniv station appears as an accessible location in the 2009 video game ''[[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat]]''.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Gallery
{{Gallery
|width=230 | height=160 | lines=1
|width=230 | height=160 |align=center
|align=center
|File:Чернігівський вокзал.JPG|[[Chernihiv]] station building
|File:Чернігівський вокзал.JPG|[[Chernihiv]] station building
|File:Залізнична станція Чернігів 001.jpeg|An [[ER9 electric trainset|ER9T]], used on the line, at Chernihiv
|File:Залізнична станція Чернігів 001.jpeg|An [[ER9 electric trainset|ER9T]], used on the line, at Chernihiv
Line 115: Line 114:
}}
}}
{{Gallery
{{Gallery
|width=230 | height=160 | lines=2
|width=230 | height=160 |align=center
⚫
|File:Залізнична платформа Малейки 1461600.jpeg|[[Malіyky]] station
|align=center
⚫
|File:Залізнична платформа Малейки 1461600.jpeg|[[Maleyke]] station
|File:Вікіекспедиція до Славутича 22-07-2013 DSCN2322.JPG|[[Slavutych]] station building
|File:Вікіекспедиція до Славутича 22-07-2013 DSCN2322.JPG|[[Slavutych]] station building
|File:Остановочный пункт Посёлок Лесной 3245415.jpeg|Poselok Lesnoi station, near Slavutych
|File:Остановочный пункт Посёлок Лесной 3245415.jpeg|Poselok Lesnoi station, near Slavutych
}}
}}
{{Gallery
{{Gallery
|width=230 | height=160 | lines=2
|width=230 | height=160 |align=center
|align=center
|File:Йолча.JPG|Iolcha station building
|File:Йолча.JPG|Iolcha station building
|File:Černobyl, 52.jpg|Rail bridge in Chernobyl Plant, part of the industrial branch from Yaniv station
|File:Černobyl, 52.jpg|Rail bridge in Chernobyl Plant, part of the industrial branch from Yaniv station
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}}
}}
{{Gallery
{{Gallery
|width=230 | height=160 | lines=2
|width=230 | height=160 |align=center
|align=center
|File:Janiw - station 02.jpg|Abandoned trains at [[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv station]]
|File:Janiw - station 02.jpg|Abandoned trains at [[Yaniv railway station|Yaniv station]]
|File:Vil'cha 04.jpg|A rail track nearby [[Vilcha, Kiev Oblast|Vilcha]] station
|File:Vil'cha 04.jpg|A rail track nearby [[Vilcha, Kyiv Oblast|Vilcha]] station
|File:Вокзал станції Овруч.jpg|[[Ovruch]] station building
|File:Вокзал станції Овруч.jpg|[[Ovruch]] station building
}}
}}
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Chernihiv–Ovruch railway}}
{{commons category|Chernihiv–Ovruch railway}}
* [http://swrailway.gov.ua/img/pzz_mapa.png Schematic map of the Southwestern Railway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010104610/http://swrailway.gov.ua/img/pzz_mapa.png |date=2021-10-10 }}. Southwestern Railway website.
* [http://wikimapia.org/23004912/uk/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%96%D0%B7%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D1%96%D1%8F-%D0%A7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%96%D0%B3%D1%96%D0%B2 wikimapia.org]
*[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/ Radioactive Railroad]
*[http://www.radioactiverailroad.com/ Radioactive Railroad]
*[http://lplaces.com/en Lost Places - Chornobyl Zone]
*[http://lplaces.com/en Lost Places - Chornobyl Zone]
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{{Chernobyl disaster|state=collapsed}}
{{Chernobyl disaster|state=collapsed}}
{{Portalbar|Ukraine|Belarus|Trains}}
{{Portalbar|Ukraine|Belarus|Trains}}
{{coord missing}}
{{coord missing|Ukraine}}
{{Chernihiv}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Chernihiv Ovruch Railway}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chernihiv Ovruch Railway}}
[[Category:Railway lines in Ukraine]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Chernihiv]]
[[Category:Railway lines in Belarus]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chernihiv]]
[[Category:Southwestern Railways]]
[[Category:Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]]
[[Category:Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1930]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1930]]
[[Category:Railway lines closed in 1986|Yaniv-Ovruch]]
[[Category:Railway lines closed in 1986|Yaniv-Ovruch]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chernihiv Oblast]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chernihiv Oblast]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Gomel Region]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Gomel region]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kiev Oblast]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kyiv Oblast]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Zhytomyr Oblast]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Zhytomyr Oblast]]
[[Category:Tourism in Chernihiv]]

Latest revision as of 23:28, 2 January 2025

Chernihiv–Ovruch railway
Chernihiv station building and platforms
Overview
Native nameUkrainian: Дільниця Чернігів–Овруч
Russian: Участок Чернигов–Овруч
Belarusian: Ўчастак Чарнігаў–Оўруч
StatusPartially active (84.4 km)
OwnerUkrainian Railways (UZ)
LocaleUkraine, Belarus
Termini
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Operator(s)Southwestern Railways (PZZ)
History
Opened1930 (1930)
Technical
Line length177.5 km (110.3 mi)
Track gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (Russian)
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC (84,4 km)

The Chernihiv–Ovruch railway is a partially electrified[4] and partially operational single track railway line that stretches between the town of Ovruch and the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, passing through southern Belarus and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The line is owned by Ukrzaliznytsia alone, with railway stations located in Belarus being leased from the government of Belarus. A portion of the line between railway stations Vilcha and Semykhody has not been in service since the Chernobyl disaster, on 26 April 1986.

History

[edit]

The line's construction started in 1928, as part of a modernization and development program of Southwestern Railways (Ukrainian: Південно-Західна залізниця). It was opened for passenger traffic in 1930.[5][6] Partially abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, it works in its eastern section, between Chernihiv and Semikhody, a terminus station near Pripyat serving the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This line section was electrified in 1988.[7][8]

Route

[edit]

Chernihiv-Slavutych-Pripyat

[edit]

The line begins at the central station of Chernihiv, capital of the Chernihiv Oblast, located on the Minsk-Gomel-Kyiv line. After two minor stops within the city, it passes through a few small villages in Chernihiv Raion. At Zhukotky station began a now closed branch to Karkhivka and Zhydinychi. 36 km (22 mi) after Chernihiv the line reaches Slavutych, a city built in 1986 for the refugees fleeing the Chernobyl disaster. Its station replaced the pre-existing "Nerafa", demolished to build a larger station for the new city.[9]

After the stops in Lisnyi (in Slavutych) and Nedanchychi (in Chernihiv Raion) the line enters Belarus' Oblast of Gomel, passing over the Dnieper river. The station of Iolcha is the only functioning stop working on the Belarusian part of the line. It serves the villages of Staraya Iolcha, Novaya Iolcha, Krasnoe, and the near town of Kamaryn, all in Brahin Raion. After Iolcha, the line enters in the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, created to enclose the territory of Belarus most affected by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident, through three abandoned stations. The first one, Kaporenka, was the interchange point (in Russian: Пересадочная, "Peresadochnaya")[10] of an abandoned siding to a decontamination park.

The line then reenters Ukraine, joining Vyshhorod Raion, in Kyiv Oblast, and the Exclusion Zone. After Zymovyshche it passes over the Pripyat River and past a branch to the new Semikhody terminal station.[11] Built in 1988, the Semikhody station is a terminus that substitutes Semykhody stop, on the main line, and is the endpoint of the electrification and passenger service. Located in front of the nuclear plant, close to the New Safe Confinement, the terminus serves workers and is the only working station in Pripyat.[12][13]

Continuing on the main line, it passes the first industrial siding for the Chernobyl Plant and, after the so-called Bridge of Death, a second siding, just before Yaniv, the main station of Pripyat. The industrial line, which runs a loop around the nuclear plant passing between the 4 reactors and next to the cooling pond, is partially active because it allows goods and materials to be moved around the plant.[12]

Pripyat-Vilcha-Ovruch

[edit]

Yaniv station, located between Yaniv village and the southern suburb of Pripyat, was an important passenger hub before the nuclear accident. It is the nearest station to Chernobyl town, 18 km (11 mi) south, and nowadays is a railroad graveyard, with a high number of abandoned trains, making it one of the tourist sights in Pripyat. The station, refurbished in the 2010s, is used by workers of the society "Chornobylservis" (Ukrainian: Чорнобильсервіс)[11] for fixing heavy machinery.[14][15][16]

After leaving Pripyat, the line continues through a forested area, highly contaminated at several points. It is rarely used by freight trains serving the nuclear plant and passes several villages, such as Buriakivka, known for its large vehicle graveyard full of abandoned radioactive machinery.[17] After Tovstyi Lis the line runs along the border between the "10-km" and "30-km" zones and enters Vyshhorod Raion. It passes through the ghost town of Vilcha, 17 km (11 mi) north of Poliske, today one of the checkpoints to the Exclusion Zone. This section of the line is the most decrepit, with the track invaded by vegetation and the station buildings mostly in ruins.[13][18]

Leaving Vilcha, the line enters Narodychi Raion of the Zhytomyr Oblast and after Radcha, the line reaches Ovruch Raion. It crosses several villages and ends at Ovruch station, on the line linking Mazyr to Korosten. The Vilcha-Ovruch section, de jure operating but de facto abandoned, has had no passenger services since 1986. Vilcha station was open until 2013.[13][19][20]

Train services

[edit]

Until 1986, the entire line was served by regional and long-distance trains such as the Moscow-Khmelnytskyi express service.[6][14] Current passenger services include the following trains:

Category Route (RT) Notes
Regional Chernihiv-Slavutych-Iolcha With not all stations served, the Nedanchychi-Iolcha service, passing the Belarusian border, is limited.[10][4]
Regional Slavutych-Semikhody Non-stop train, for Chernobyl Plant workers[4]
[edit]

Ovruch station was mentioned in the 1963 book The Truce (Italian: La tregua), by the Italian writer Primo Levi. It was a stop on his roundabout 1945 trip from the Auschwitz concentration camp to his home in Turin.[21][22][23]

Yaniv station appears as an accessible location in the 2009 video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

[edit]
  • Chernihiv station building
    Chernihiv station building
  • An ER9T, used on the line, at Chernihiv
    An ER9T, used on the line, at Chernihiv
  • Chernihiv Pidusivka station
    Chernihiv Pidusivka station
  • Iolcha station building
    Iolcha station building
  • Rail bridge in Chernobyl Plant, part of the industrial branch from Yaniv station
    Rail bridge in Chernobyl Plant, part of the industrial branch from Yaniv station
  • Yaniv station building at Pripyat
    Yaniv station building at Pripyat

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ in english: Island
  2. ^ in english: Town
  3. ^ in english: Transfer Point
  4. ^ a b c ""All Aboard for Chernihiv"". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-27. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  5. ^ (in Russian) Юго-Западная железная дорога. Вчера. Сегодня. Завтра ("Southwestern Railways: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"). 244 pp., Kyiv, «Transport of Ukraine» 1995. ISBN 5-7707-7927-6
  6. ^ "Railway map of Ukraine and Moldova showing rail traction". www.bueker.net. Archived from the original on 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  7. ^ (in Russian) "Island" electrified lines in the countries of the former Soviet Union infojd.ruArchived 2012-07-23 at archive.today
  8. ^ ""Reborn in Slavutych"". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  9. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Southwestern Railway timetable for Chernihiv-Iolcha service Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b "The Pripyat Railway Bridge" (Lost Places)
  11. ^ a b ""Trains in the Exclusion Zone"". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  12. ^ a b c "Ovruch-Chernihiv line scheme". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  13. ^ a b ""Permanently Contaminated: The Railroad Graveyard"". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  14. ^ ""Railway station Yaniv"". Lost Places. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  15. ^ ""Yaniv Train Station - Pripyat"". UrbanX. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  16. ^ ""Chernobyl Rescue Operation: The Vehicle Graveyard"". Urban Ghosts. Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  17. ^ "Securing the Chornobyl exclusion zone against illegal movement of radioactive materials" irpa.net Archived 2015-11-25 at the Wayback Machine (IRPA)
  18. ^ ""Abandoned: The Radioactive Railroad"". Radioactive Railroad. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  19. ^ ""On "diesel engine" on the Zone"". Lost Places. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  20. ^ (in Italian) "Ovruch" Archived 2016-08-17 at the Wayback Machine primolevi.it
  21. ^ See map on Commons
  22. ^ La Tregua. Einaudi, Turin, 1963 - ISBN 0-349-10013-6
[edit]
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