VL10U locomotive transports cars with ore from Kirov mines, along Khibinsky Mountains... Khibiny is one of the two main mountain ranges of the Kola Peninsula in Russia, within the Arctic Circle. The Khibiny range is extremely rich in minerals, mainly apatite and nepheline ores. 477 valid minerals have been reported and 108 of those are type localities or minerals
first described in the Khibiny. The range is also seismically active. Khibiny mountains are mostly uninhabited, except for one of the world's richest mineral quarries. One of the minerals discovered there is reported to have a potential as a nuclear waste radioactivity absorbent. Cloud over the train is a steam, which is discharged from the Heat-only boiler station in Kirovsk city. The photo was taken in the polar day.
