Baikal-Amur Mainline. For most people, it's an abbreviation from geography textbooks. Century project, Komsomol, permafrost. But today, the BAM is not just freight trains with coal and timber. It's a unique tourist attraction that can outdo many advertised routes. Thousands of kilometers of taiga, mountains, rivers, and tunnels where a person feels like a grain of sand. In 2026, interest in the BAM as an attraction grew: tourist trains, rafting, excursions have appeared. It's time to embark on a journey along the most romantic railway in Russia. What is the BAM The Baikal-Amur Mainline is a railway stretching 4287 km from Taishet (Irkutsk Oblast) to Sovetskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk Krai). Construction was carried out intermittently from 1938 to 1984, with the peak in the 1970s-1980s. In 1984, the "golden link" was laid. The BAM passes through the zone of permafrost, seismic activity, across 7 mountain ranges, 11 large rivers ( Lena, Amur, etc.). There are 4,200 bridges, over 30 tunnels, including the North-Mui tunnel (15 km). This engineering marvel still causes admiration. Why is the BAM interesting to tourists For tourists, the BAM offers the opportunity to see untouched nature: taiga, hills, rivers, lakes. As well as industrial artifacts: mosaics on stations, steam locomotive memorials, abandoned settlements. The route passes through three time zones. You can see the North-Mui tunnel, which was built for 26 years, and the Devil's Bridge viaduct. For thrill-seekers, rafting on the tributaries of the Vitim, trekking to Baikal from the BAM branch. Also possible hunting, fishing (trout, lenok), gathering wild plants. Tourist Trains 2026 In 2026, specialized tourist trains have been launched: "BAM-Express" and "Golden Mainline". They run from Irkutsk to Khabarovsk with stops at key points: Taishet (the beginning of the BAM), Severobaikalsk (the shore of Baikal), Nizhniyanzharsk, Taksimo, Chara (desert with towers), Tynda (the capital of the BAM). The trains have ... Read more