MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. The throughput capacity of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) soared threefold over the last twelve years and continues growing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the awards ceremony on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of BAM.

"The throughput capacity of the mainline totaled almost 42 mln metric tons this year. It increased threefold over the last twelve years and the volume of cargo traffic along BAM continues growing," the Russian leader stressed.

Shipments over the Eastern Range uniting BAM and the Trans-Siberian railroad is to reach 270 mln metric tons per year over the ten-year period, the head of state said. "This will make it possible to have larger development of natural resources in the BAM and Trans-Siberian railroad zone of influence, will become a strong impetus for opening of industrial facilities, creating modern jobs and developing social infrastructure in Eastern Siberia and in the Far East," Putin noted.

The third stage of BAM and Trans-Siberian railroad development will start this year and the throughput capacity of the Eastern Range of railroads will grow, the President added.

"As our predecessors, we are implementing this project with the use of advanced technologies and engineering solutions. We will form extra demand for products of domestic machine-building and metallurgic plants, for services of the construction complex and the whole range of other industries," the head of state said.

The task is of a much wider scale than simply debottlenecking, the President stressed. "Second tracks are to be laid along the entire length of BAM. To commission essentially over 300 infrastructural facilities, including alternates of Severomuysky, Kuznetsovsky, and Kodarsky tunnels, and a bridge across the Amur River," Putin added.