Russian president Vladimir Putin has floated the idea of a rail link to the coast of the Barents Sea as part of a plan to develop Russia’s Arctic regions, which are becoming ice-free for longer periods in the year as global temperatures rise. 

The Kremlin instructed the Russian government to submit proposals for the link on Friday. This called for “proposals for the creation of a railway route to the Barents Sea in the area of the bay of the Indiga River”. The deadline for a response was given as 10 May.

When complete, the line will provide a direct route to the north trade route for the industrial regions of the south Urals, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The cost of the line was estimated in 2020 to be about $2.6bn. The Barents observes that the link is not included in Russia’s long-term investment plans.