The Reconstruction of the Circumbaikal railway.

The Reconstruction of the Circumbaikal railway and the building of the Hotel Complex.

The East-Siberian railway is a big transport enterprise in organizing passenger transportation. During the last few years the stream of Russian and foreign tourists coming to the Baikal region has been constantly increasing. According to the data of tourist agencies, the general number of leaving and coming people to the territory of the region in 2011 was 522,000. In 2011 this figure was 551,000 people. Last year the region accepted 139,000 foreign tourists and 480,000 Russian tourists. According to the data of the Tourist Department of the Governor Administration of the Irkutsk region the stream of tourists to the Irkutsk region will come to about 2.5 million people by 2012. The facilities of the region can provide accepting 1.5 million tourists annually. The Irkutsk region is more often visited by citizens of China, Mongolia and Japan. Coming to Baikal a foreign tourist spends 120 $USD a day on average, a Russian tourist less – 80 $USD, an average stay is 2 – 3 days. There is also another side: every 30 tourists provide one working place at enterprises in tourist sphere and two in the accompanying industries. In 2003 Lake Baikal without any reservations took the first place among the most interesting tourist destinations inside Russia. It was pointed in the answers of 22% of responders. It would be a mistake not to take into consideration the information above and not to try to occupy the right niche in national tourist business; moreover, the Trans-Siberian railroad can provide such a possibility. One of the most visited historical architectural railway monuments of Pribaikaliya is the Circumbaikal railway, the part of the road from Sludyanka station to the Port Baikal station. At present this track of the railroad is considered to be dead-lock, it is a one-track road, non-electrified, with a small turnover of only passenger transfers in local destinations (1 pair of trains a day) and tourist trains (depending on a season their quantity is 4-12 units a month). Infrastructure of the railroad is not well-advanced; there are no year round tourist resorts. The existing tourist resorts work in summer time only, though, the quality of the provided services does not correspond to the modern requirements. Tourist routes and view sites are not equipped. Repairing of the railroad track and the restoration of architectural monuments are needed. The existing tendency of increasing tourist streams travelling to Baikal around the Circumbaikal railway requires the construction of new accommodations which would be able to welcome guests properly. Nowadays tourist resorts located along the Circumbaikal railway are in unsatisfactory condition and cannot accept all those who wish to stay. Thus, it can be spoken about a real existing need for a new hotel complex meeting all world standards of the tourist market. The average living cost per person a day in an average room is 2500 – 4000 rubles. This indicates the lack of hotels presently. In 2010 in order to get extra income to cover losses from local transportations, to enlarge the transport services sphere, as well as to develop a tourist activity, a commercial tourist route Irkutsk – Sludyanka – Port Baikal was organized by the Local Management of the West- Siberian railroad.

According to the summer season work results of 2011 more than 9,800 passengers were transported. The yield income from rendering the service by the Local Management to passengers came to 1,722,000 rubles. In the year 2011 the passenger transportations with the electrotrain Irkutsk – Port Baikal have been planned with the population growth from 35% to 38%, that will let increase the number of transported passengers from 6,800 people to 7,770 or by 14%. The growth of the transportation turnover, as well as the supposed increasing of the fare by 20% will let profits raise from this kind of activity from 1,722,000 rubles in the year 2009 to 2,408,000 rubles in 2011 or by 40%. Thus, we have an opportunity to create a qualitative tour product of full value. In February, 2011 the presentation of the travelling around the Circumbaikal railroad took place on the regional exhibition “Baikaltour-2011”. Cooperation contracts were made with the biggest tour operators of the Baikalsky region that gave a possibility to increase a share of foreign tourists; in summer season of 2011 it made 23% from the whole tour stream, i.e. more than 1,500 people. The realization of the route “A day off” with the usage of onecarriage- track bus of disiel train type on the section of the road Sludyanka – Port Baikal will replace two 2nd class passenger cars on an engine. By making the transport service better for both local inhabitants and tourists and raise the social-cultural service level. Research has showed that this service is in demand all year round from the Pribaikalsky region tour operators. The exploitation of disiel train will let transport 16,640 people annually on higher comfort disiel train and up to 48,000 people annually launching two, three-car-long, higher comfort disiel train. The complex development of the railroad section from Sludyanka station to Port Baikal station must include the following: - Accomplishment of development works – 15 million rubles. - Track development – the construction of railway sidings on the 102nd km and the 140th km with the length of 200 metres, the reconstruction of the railway siding on the 110th km; the extension of useful length up to 300 metres – approximately 18 – 20 million rubles. - Reconstruction of reinforced concrete bridges at the 110th km, the 130th km, the 149th km – approximately 60 – 63 million rubles. - Construction and arrangement of view sites on the 149th km, the 145th km, the 130th km, the 123rd km, the 110th km, the 102nd km, the 98th km – approximately 15 million rubles. - Construction of two hotels with a recreation complex (billiard, tennis court, snowmobiles, etc.) on the 110th km with accommodation of 70 rooms. On the 145th km with the accommodation of 50 rooms – the general approximate cost is 800-900 million rubles. According to preliminary calculations with the capacity of the hotel in summer season - up to 90%, in winter season – up to 70%, with the daily stay price of 4,000 rubles per person - the pay off period of the hotel will take 7 years. - Acquisition of three units of three-carriage-track buses of first and second classes of the “Metrovagonmash” closed joint stock company production – the approximate price of each bus is 85 – 95 million rubles without VAT. Comprehensive approach to the development of the Circumbaikal railway will allow to make a complex program, i.e. not only the transportation of a tourist from one destination to another, but also his staying at the hotel complex, transfer and active recreation programs. At present time the documents for feasibility study and development works have been prepared.