Railway a Gauge of Sakhalin's Future.

(From The Moscow Times)

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Sakhalin -- Sakhalin is not only separated from the rest of Russia by several kilometers of water, but also by the 457-millimeter difference between the width of its train tracks.

This legacy of Japanese control over part of the island, however, is not stopping Russian Railways from setting out to succeed where Josef Stalin and others have failed -- linking Sakhalin with the rest of Russia by bridge or tunnel.

"No resident of Sakhalin should feel that they are separated from the rest of the Russian Federation," Governor Alexander Khoroshavin said at a recent news conference in the Pacific island's capital, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

"Developing the links to the mainland are the most important social and economic task for Sakhalin," Khoroshavin said.

The project, which would be completed by 2030, is part of a 14 trillion ruble nationwide development program from Russian Railways. The program, which could one day lead to an overland transportation corridor running all the way to Japan, was given a tentative thumbs up by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last month.

But as yet, officials have no idea where to build the 10- to 20-kilometer link, how much it would cost and when work will start. And first, Sakhalin's peculiar history means that there are several major obstacles to overcome.