In detailed report, Infpol covers the Russian government plans to expand the existing Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railway with a second track. A second 15km long Severomuisky tunnel will be built. It will have modern tunnel technologies with climate control and automatic gates

The expansion will increase trade potential with Far East and expand trade ties with China, Mongolia, Japan and South Korea.

Environmentalists are very concerned and say Duma's exemption of environment rules for this project means complete deforestation of the Baikal region.

https://www.infpol.ru/217368-novoe-budushchee-bama/
 

image Wikimedia Commons ( OpenStreetMap contributers Natural Earth: Tom Patterson, Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso and other contributors Map rendering: Pechristener using QGIS / ODbL)