The principal railway line in
the oblast is the railroad connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk. The piece
between Vologda and Arkhangelsk was constructed in 1890s and passed
through previously uninhabited areas between the valleys of the Northern
Dvina and the Onega. The railroad construction gave the momentum to the
population and exploitation of these areas. A branch from Konosha
eastwards to Kotlas and further to Vorkuta was constructed in 1940s to
facilitate the transport of coal from the Komi Republic. From Kotlas,
another branch continues south to Kirov. A branch from Obozersky to the
west, to Onega and further to Belomorsk, was built during the World War
II to secure the transport of goods from the harbour of Murmansk to
central Russia. A piece of railroad between Arkhangelsk and Karpogory
was also built in 1970s and is expected to become part of the Belkomur
project � a railway line connecting Arkhangelsk via the Komi Republic
with the Perm Krai and the Ural mountains. Almost the entire rail
network belongs to the Northern Railway, which west of Onega connects to
the Oktyabrskaya Railway. There is also a railway line from
Severoonezhsk west to Yangory (an extension of the line from Puksa to
Navolok), which belongs to the Department of Corrections. A big number
of narrow gauge railways have been built in 1950s and 1960s to
facilitate the transport of timber, but since then most of these became
unprofitable and have been destroyed.
In 1970s and 1980s the aviation
was active, with all district centers connected to Arkhangelsk with
regular flights, Kotlas being the second important hub. Currently, it
has almost disappeared. There are two airports in Arkhangelsk, but
regular local flights are only carried out to the destinations which do
not have rail or road connections, such as Novaya Zemlya, Solovetsky
Islands, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Onega
