Yanov railway station is named after the isolated village that it once served. Commissioned in 1925 it was to play a vital role in the construction of Pripyat and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants 40 years later.
Located on the Southern outskirts of Pripyat it was the city’s main station for both freight and passengers. An extensive road network allowing for easy distribution of construction materials from the station.
Prior to the disaster, the station belonged to the South-Western Railway. It comprises of one main track with three receiving and departure tracks running alongside. There are also numerous sidings for the storage of rolling stock.
Further up the line trains continue to operate, carrying thousands of power plant personnel and shelter construction workers daily from Slavutych, 50 kilometers away (constructed to house the evacuated plant workers), to Semihody station adjacent to power plants 1-4.
Few trains have reason to continue on to Yanov now and only one track remains in operation. Abandoned rolling stock, in various states of decay, clogging the rails. Several of the carriages have been re-purposed and are now home to the truck drivers. Their bright yellow vehicles covered with radiation signs are hard to miss.
Following the accident in 1986 the village and station were heavily contaminated with radiation. The population of the village, 254 people, were evacuated never to return. Their houses demolished. The station was decontaminated and used in the clean up operation.
