Onega, Russia town is also served by the Arkhangelsk–Murmansk rail line, which branches off in Obozerskaya railway station from the railroad between Moscow and Arkhangelsk and runs west to Onega and Belomorsk where it joins the railroad between Petrozavodsk and Murmansk. The railroad was built during World War II to secure the transport of goods from the harbor of Murmansk to central Russia. Onega is connected to Severodvinsk by a road. There are no all-seasonal roads on the left bank of the Onega River. The Onega is navigable downstream from the "selo" of Porog; there is regular passenger navigation. There is also
Onega River Monastery on an island in the Lake Kozheozero. Some of the finest monuments of the northern wooden architecture are located in the basin of the Onega, including ensembles of Lyadiny, Saunino Pogost, Krasnaya Lyaga, and Bolzhaya Shalga. These monuments also suffer from the lack of protection and their number steadily diminishes. In fact, the majority of them have been lost. The river splits into the Big Onega and Little Onega Rivers from its estuary, but then these branches join again, forming a big flat island. It freezes up in late October - early December and stays under the ice until