Railway system of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Railways (Russian: Советские железные дороги (СЖД)) was the state owned national railway system of the Soviet Union, headquartered in Moscow. The railway started operations in December 1922, shortly after the formation of the Soviet Union. It operated until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.[1] The Soviet Railways were the largest unified railway in the world and the backbone of the Soviet Union's economy. Soviet Railways greatly upgraded and expanded the Russian Imperial Railways to meet the demands of the Soviet Union. The railway was directly under the control of the Ministry of Railways in the Soviet Union.
Steam locomotives, such as the P36, were the quintessential symbol of the Soviet Railways. | |
Overview | |
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Headquarters | Moscow |
Reporting mark | SZhD, SZD |
Locale | Soviet Union |
Dates of operation | 1922–1991 |
Predecessor | RIZhD, JGR |
Successor | RŽD, UZ, BCh, ADDY, SR, HYU, LG, CFM, EVR, LZD, KTZ, OTY, TZD, KTJ |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) |
Electrification | 3 kV DC, 25 kV AC, 50 Hz |
Length | 147,400 km (91,600 mi) |
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Railways were split into fifteen different national railways belonging to the respective countries. However, after the end of Soviet Railways, rail transport in the former Soviet states greatly declined and have not recovered to their former efficiency to this day.[2] Russian Railways is considered as the primary successor of Soviet Railways. Other successors inherited the Soviet infrastructure in Central Asia.
Part of successor Railways
Railway | Country | Year Started | Length (in Km) |
---|---|---|---|
See also
- Rail transport in the Soviet Union
- Russian Railways
- History of rail transport in Russia
- Transport in the Soviet Union
- Industrial railway
- Sibirjak
- Russian Railway Museum, in St.Petersburg, which is home to former Soviet locomotives and other machinery.
References
- Russian Railways - History of Russian Railways (1914-1991)
- Russian Railways - History of Russian Railways (1991-2003)
Further reading
- Kelly, Peter (April 1984). "Railways in the Soviet Union". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 24–27. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.