Where is the longest railway in the world? The longest railway in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Everyone is familiar with the Guinness Book of Records, which records all the most unusual human achievements. Most A tall man in the world, the lowest, the fastest, as well as the largest building or the most gigantic sculpture made of coins - this book contains all this. Have you ever thought about the longest railway in the world? What is she like?
Trans-Siberian Railway
This is the name of the longest railway in the world. More than 100 years have passed since its construction, because construction was completed back in 1916, and began in 1891. But to this day it remains the longest railway in the world, connecting the capital of Russia with Vladivostok. On its way lie the largest industrial cities, such as Kirov, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Taishent, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk.
The total length of the Trans-Siberian Railway is 9,289 km. It is capable of handling up to 100 million tons per year. In 2002, complete electrification took place.
The population of this little world is 160,000 figures, most of which are completely unique. The cost of this large-scale project is estimated at 16 million US dollars.
Own life
Time does not stand still here. You can see the change of day and night when the lanterns are lit. The operation of traffic lights, the movement of trucks, barges, even firefighters who put out a fire. Ordinary residents of the town do things that are familiar to us: riding and walking in parks, waiting for the bus at the bus stop, swimming in the river and even being obscene in the tall grass.
If you walk around this miniature town, you will understand that we are not much different from its inhabitants.
China breaks all records
China recently opened the New Silk Road, which will allow cheap Chinese goods to be exported to Europe.
The route "Yiwu - Madrid" passes through the whole of China, Kazakhstan, crosses Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France and, in the end, stops in the capital of Spain. The train leaving Yiwu will arrive in Madrid in 21 days.
Today, this route is used only for industrial transportation of goods. But China invested $40 billion in such a large-scale project. And, as Chinese media confirm, it is not going to stop. Chinese authorities are already considering development options trade routes through Turkey, as well as the option of building a connection between largest ports Indian Ocean.
Throughout the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, the longest railway line was considered the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connects Moscow and the Far East with a terminal station in Vladivostok. But after the Chinese launched the 13,052 km New Silk Road from Yiwu to Madrid in 2014, the title of “the longest railway in the world” changed its owner. In addition to Moscow - Vladivostok and Yiwu - Madrid, the TOP 10 rating also includes other unique routes, the direct railway connection of which is several thousand kilometers.
10. Shanghai – Lhasa: 4373 km
The train ride from Shanghai to Lhasa is an incredible journey that passes through 8 provinces of China and ends in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Net travel time is 47 hours. Although technically the trip takes 3 days, since the only train on this route leaves Shanghai at 20:10 local time and arrives in Lhasa on the 3rd day, at 19:20, passing 13 stations.
The Shanghai - Lhasa railway is very popular among tourists, as the geography of the area changes repeatedly during the journey. The “mountain” journey is especially impressive, when the train, winding around the mountain, makes an ascent, the degree of which is clearly visible to the naked eye.
9. Chicago - Los Angeles: 4390 km
As you know, the USA has the largest railway network in the world, total length which is 250 thousand km. At the same time, a significant part of the track falls on the direct route from Chicago to the very heart of California - Los Angeles. During the 65-hour journey, the train crosses 7 states, making 40 stops.
The state-owned Amtrak company, which operates the majority of special trains in the United States, has a special approach to passenger transportation. Many of the trains have a cozy, antique feel, and the stewards look like actors from old Hollywood films. So that tourists can fully experience the scenery North America, following the Chicago-Los Angeles route, the company developed unique living room cars with huge windows that occupy not only the walls, but also part of the ceiling.
8. Harbin - Haikou: 4458 km
Direct railway communication from the administrative center of Heilongjiang province, the city of Harbin, to the very south of China, to the city of Haikou (Hainan Island), appeared relatively recently. The first train on this route was launched at the end of June 2013. Almost 4.5 thousand km are covered in 66 hours, taking into account 52 stops.
The main reason for the opening of this branch is considered to be the connection of the northern and southern parts of China. In addition, with the advent of the Harbin-Haikou railway, it has become much easier to get to Hainan Island, which in the tourism industry is often called “East Hawaii”.
7. Toronto – Vancouver: 4466 km
Traveling from Toronto to Vancouver by VIA Rail is a great way to experience Canada. The 66-stop route passes through the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the Canadian Shield Forest and other natural attractions.
Despite the fact that the trip lasts more than 3 days (86 hours), passengers do not have to get bored. Outside the train window, in addition to the unique landscape, you can see unique animals, including moose, deer and even bears. And stops in cities like Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton offer a glimpse into Canada's diverse culture.
6. Urumqi - Guangzhou: 4684 km
The Urumqi-Guangzhou railway route is a kind of diagonal that connects the northwestern region of China with the southeastern one. Three trains run on this railway: Z138/Z135, T38/T35, L908/L905. The first of them covers the entire distance, which is 31 stations, in 49.5 hours. A T-class train takes 55 hours to travel, and an L-class train takes 65 hours.
Since Guangzhou is considered the political, economic, educational, scientific, technological and cultural center of southern China, this railway is often used by tourists, businessmen and foreign politicians who want to save on air tickets by choosing a cheaper mode of transport.
5. Yining - Shanghai: 4742 km
Launch of a line that connects the important administrative hub of northwestern China - Yining, and The largest city in the world by population - Shanghai, occurred on December 10, 2014. Passenger trains in both directions cross 7 provinces and stop at 32 stations. The largest among them are Nilki, Kuitun, Jinghe, Saven, Turfan, Urumqi, Shanshan and Hami.
The total duration of the route is almost 56 hours. During this time, passengers manage to cross almost the whole of China, enjoying the beautiful scenery and getting acquainted with the level of economic development of this country.
4. Lhasa – Guangzhou: 4980 km
The longest direct railway route within China is Lhasa – Guangzhou, the length of which is 5 thousand km. Travel time to passenger train is 54.5 hours with stops in several big cities such as Chenzhou, Lanzhou, Wuchang and Xi'an. However Substantial part The route passes through open countryside and mountainous landscapes.
The T264 train runs along this route, which features a 24-hour restaurant with more than 100 dishes of Tibetan and Chinese cuisine. During the trip, stewards constantly inform passengers about upcoming attractions, and do this in three languages - English, Chinese and Tibetan.
3. Moscow – Beijing: 8984 km
Between the Russian Federation and the Chinese People's Republic Strong political, economic and cultural ties have existed for many decades, so it is not surprising that the capitals of these states have direct rail connections. The Vostok train, starting its journey in Moscow and ending in Beijing, travels 9 thousand km (44 stations) in 145 hours 37 minutes, that is, passengers spend a full 6 days on the road.
For most of the route, the train travels along the Trans-Siberian Railway, making a “turn” only in Chita to cross the Chinese border. The longest stop is located just before the border in the city of Zabaikalsk. At the same time, the parking time (6 hours) is caused not so much customs control, how much by replacing wheels, since the Russian track differs from the Chinese one in other technical parameters.
2. Moscow – Vladivostok: 9289 km
The construction of the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway started back in 1891, and its result was the ability to travel exclusively on rails from the European part of Russia to the shores Pacific Ocean. The duration of the route is 178 hours or 7 days, during which time the train travels over 9 thousand km, stopping at intermediate stations 67 times.
For ordinary passengers, the journey from Moscow to Vladivostok is notable for the fact that the main line crosses several hour-long trains, captures the unique nature of Siberia and even makes a “visit” to the largest freshwater body of water in the world - Lake Baikal. There are also many preferences for freight transportation, so the annual freight traffic is 100 million tons.
1. Yiwu – Madrid: 13052 km
The relatively small city of Yiwu, located in eastern China, is known as one of the largest centers wholesale trade in the world. In order to accelerate the growth rate of the Chinese economy, it was decided to connect Yiwu with Western Europe via railway, which would significantly reduce the cost of delivering goods. So in November 2014, the first train was launched on the Yiwu – Madrid route, crossing the borders of 8 countries in 21 days – China, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France and Spain.
The highway itself received the pathetic name “New Silk Road,” implying that it was along this route that caravans with goods from Asia to Europe moved many centuries ago. 40 billion dollars were spent on the construction of the road, which once again proves the importance of land communication between the West and the East.
Railway network Russian Federation quite extensive. It consists of several sections of highways, which are owned by Russian Railways OJSC. Moreover, all regional roads are formally branches of JSC Russian Railways, while the company itself acts as a monopolist in Russia:
The road runs through the territory of the Irkutsk and Chita regions and the republics of Buryatia and Sakha-Yakutia. The length of the highway is 3848 km.
The road runs along two parallel latitudinal directions: Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod- Kirov and Moscow - Kazan - Yekaterinburg, which are connected by roads. The road connects the Central, North-Western and Northern regions of Russia with the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia. The Gorky road borders on the following railways: Moscow (Petushki and Cherusti stations), Sverdlovsk (Cheptsa, Druzhinino stations), Northern (Novki, Susolovka, Svecha stations), Kuibyshevskaya (Krasny Uzel, Tsilna stations). The total developed length of the road is 12066 km. The length of the main railway tracks is 7987 km.
The railway passes through the territory of five constituent entities of the Russian Federation - Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories, Amur and Jewish Autonomous Regions, and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Its service area also includes the Magadan, Sakhalin, Kamchatka regions and Chukotka - over 40% of the territory of Russia. Operating length - 5986 km.
The Trans-Baikal Railway runs in the south-east of Russia, through the territory of the Trans-Baikal Territory and the Amur Region, is located next to the border of the People's Republic of China and has the only direct land border railway crossing in Russia through the Zabaikalsk station. Operating length - 3370 km.
The West Siberian Railway passes through the territory of Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Tomsk regions, Altai Territory and partly the Republic of Kazakhstan. The developed length of the main tracks of the highway is 8986 km, the operational length is 5602 km.
The road operates in special geopolitical conditions. The shortest route from the center of Russia to the countries lies through Kaliningrad Western Europe. The road does not have common borders with Russian Railways. The total length of the highway is 1,100 km, the length of the main routes is over 900 kilometers.
The highway passes through four large regions - Kemerovo region, Khakassia, Irkutsk region and Krasnoyarsk region, connecting the Trans-Siberian and South Siberian railways. Figuratively speaking, it is a bridge between the European part of Russia, its Far East and Asia. The operational length of the Krasnoyarsk road is 3160 km. The total length is 4544 kilometers.
The railway stretches from the Moscow region to the Ural foothills, connecting the center and west of the Russian Federation with the large socio-economic regions of the Urals, Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The road consists of two almost parallel lines running from West to East: Kustarevka - Inza - Ulyanovsk and Ryazhsk - Samara, which connect at the Chishmy station, forming a double-track line ending at the spurs of the Ural Mountains. Two other lines of the road Ruzaevka - Penza - Rtishchevo and Ulyanovsk - Syzran - Saratov run from North to South.
Within its current boundaries, the Moscow Railway was organized in 1959 as a result of the full and partial unification of six roads: Moscow-Ryazan, Moscow-Kursk-Donbass, Moscow-Okruzhnaya, Moscow-Kiev, Kalinin and Northern. The deployed length is 13,000 km, the operational length is 8,800 km.
The Oktyabrskaya Mainline passes through the territory of eleven constituent entities of the Russian Federation - Leningrad, Pskov, Novgorod, Vologda, Murmansk, Tver, Moscow, Yaroslavl regions, the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg and the Republic of Karelia. Operating length - 10143 km.
The Volga (Ryazan-Ural) railway is located in the southeast of the European part of Russia in the region of the Lower Volga and the middle reaches of the Don and covers the territories of Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, as well as several stations located within Rostovskaya, Samara regions and Kazakhstan. The length of the road is 4191 km.
The highway connects the European and Asian parts of Russia, stretches for one and a half thousand kilometers from west to east and crosses the Arctic Circle in a northern direction. Passes through Nizhny Tagil, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Surgut, Tyumen. Also serves Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs. Operating length - 7154 km. The deployed length is 13,853 km.
The highway originates in the center of Russia and extends far to the north of the country. Most of The Northern Mainline is operated in the harsh conditions of the Far North and the Arctic. The unfolded length is 8500 kilometers.
In the service area of the road there are 11 constituent entities of the Russian Federation Southern federal district, it directly borders Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The operational length of the highway is 6358 km.
The South-Eastern Railway occupies a central position in the railway network and connects the eastern regions and the Urals with the Center, as well as the regions of the North, North-West and Center with Northern Caucasus, Ukraine and the states of Transcaucasia. The South-Eastern Road borders on the Moscow, Kuibyshev, North Caucasus, and Southern Railways of Ukraine. Operating length - 4189 km.
The South Ural Railway is located in two parts of the world - at the junction of Europe and Asia. It includes Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg and Kartalinsk branches. Several mainline railway lines pass through the territory of Kazakhstan. The South-Eastern Road borders on the Moscow, Kuibyshev, North Caucasus, and Southern Railways of Ukraine. Operating length - 4189 km. The developed length is over 8000 km.
The first railway tracks were laid almost two centuries ago. Today travel even in ultra-modern high speed train- not the best quick way movement around the planet, but remains one of the most convenient and safe. And freight rail transportation will remain the main type of trade between countries and regions for a long time.
A developed network of railway tracks, including the world's longest railway, which for a long time The Trans-Siberian Railway was considered a prerequisite for the progress of any economically developed region and the entire world economy.
Historical reference
After a very long time a short time After the first public railway track opened in England in 1825, it became clear that this the best way transportation of goods and passengers. The railways of the world began to entangle the land in a web of rails. The number of laid tracks began to clearly reflect the level of economic development of the state and its potential, including military.
The Russian Empire, in full accordance with the national character of the titular nation, harnessed and carried loads on horses for a long time. Although the first railway connection between the capital St. Petersburg was established back in 1837, the operation of railways in Russia for a long time was conditional due to their absence.
National feat
The specifics of Russian spaces dictated the need for accelerated development of the railway network - this was understandable to the most backward retrograde in the tsarist government. In May 1891, the heir to the throne, the future last autocrat, Nicholas II personally poured a wheelbarrow of earth into the base of a railway embankment near Vladivostok. And construction began eastern section Transsib. In order for the first train to travel from the Atlantic coast to Vladivostok in 1904, a colossal amount of money and manpower was spent.
Distance from Europe to Russian Far East such is that after construction is completed, Russia will inevitably have the longest railway in the world. The construction of the Great Siberian Road, as the highway was called at first, was called by many (especially on the days of celebrations on the opening of the movement) a joint feat of the united Russian people, uniting both a leading engineer and a simple navvy to achieve the result. Removing unnecessary pathos, you can find a large share of truth in this statement.
Trans-Siberian Railway
Formally, the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed when the section of the route from Chelyabinsk to Vladivostok was built, but reconstruction continued for a very long time. The length of the Trans-Siberian Railway, documented in the form of a tablet at the Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, is 9298 km. Full electrification of the Trans-Siberian Railway ended in 2012, and today the train from Moscow to Vladivostok takes only 6 days and 13 hours.
Russian nature cannot leave even the purely prosaic and economic concept. A long journey along Russian railways is not just a movement in space, it impresses any person, giving rise to deep experiences. The world's longest railway, the Trans-Siberian Railway, is the heroine of numerous poetic and prose texts of various genres; songs are written about it and films are made about it.
The Great Silk Road
China has long been a leader in economic growth. Trade turnover, economic, political, social and public relations between modern China and Russia and Europe require the establishment of high-throughput communication routes. The railways of the world and Europe are becoming an important part of this process.
Many modern businessmen and politicians see historical traditions in establishing contacts in the construction of the Great Silk Road, known since ancient times, on a modern basis. The caravan routes connecting the East and Europe were for a time of great intensity, which was reflected in the widespread use of Orientalism in fashion, fine and applied arts in Europe. Chinoiserie - Chinese Rococo, which became the defining movement for leading European architects and decorators at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries - is largely the result of the heroic efforts of merchants who brought rich caravans from China.
Important direction of the economy
In a modern economy, the component is significant. The need to connect remote areas of the country with the industrial and economic center and the high demand for interstate transportation have made China a leader in the railway industry. The length of the railways along which ultra-modern trains move is constantly growing.
In 2012, traffic was opened on a new railway route from Beijing to Guangzhou. The Chinese capital and a large metropolis in the south of the country are connected by the longest and fastest line in the world. Super comfortable and reliable trains will travel along it at a speed of about 300 km/h, reducing the time previously spent on this road by three times. The largest railways in the world are following exactly this path of development.
Madrid - Yiwu
Today, delivering goods from China to Europe does not require months of dangerous journeys on camels and horses along difficult trails. But invest serious means necessary. The Chinese have long proclaimed their desire to make such a path fast, profitable, and reliable, inviting Russian specialists to cooperate.
At the end of 2014, a train was solemnly celebrated in China, and in Madrid 21 days later they met a train that had traveled from the Chinese city of Yiwu, located on the Pacific coast. This is how the longest railway in the world with a length of about 13,000 km began to function. Although its condition does not yet allow for the movement of comfortable passenger trains, and the passage of trains largely depends on the weather and other local factors, we can say that the development of the world's transport network has entered a new, impressive stage of development.
The railway is what at one time turned the world upside down, allowed people to travel faster than usual, and deliver cargo that was previously inaccessible for transportation. And most importantly, railways made it possible to reach the most remote places. Rail transport remains relevant today. After all, there are a lot of railways in the world. Some of them differ not only in their age, but also in their length.
1. New Silk Road
A unique railway that starts in the Chinese city of Yiwu and ends in the capital of Spain - Madrid. The road connects Europe and Asia, passes through 8 countries, and is the largest in the world. The trip takes 21 days and its total length is 13,026 km.
2. Trans-Siberian Railway
Construction of this road began back in 1981, and it became the first railway to connect Europe and Asia. The road has been modernized several times, which allows it to be used today. Its length is 9,288 km. You can get from Moscow to Vladivostok in 6 days.
3. Moscow-Beijing
Another long railway that intersects with the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is along this route that the well-known Vostok train runs. The length of the road is about 9 thousand kilometers. You can overcome them in 145 hours of continuous travel. Also, the train stops at the border for about 6 hours. This is a necessary delay because the train's wheelsets are being changed.
4. Transcontinental Railroad
In terms of the total length of railways, the United States ranks first in the world. They also have their own giants. The transcontinental railroad was built in 1869. Today it is part of the largest transcontinental network, the total length of which exceeds 107 thousand km.
5. Chicago-Los Angeles
One of the longest roads in the USA. Its length is 4,390 km. The road passes through seven states. It will take 67 hours to travel it completely. The train makes stops at 40 stations!
6. Toronto-Vancouver
Another very long road, this time located in Canada. Its length is 4,466 km. It connects cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. To get from one city to another it will take 86 hours by train. There are 66 stations on the road.
7. Lhasa - Guangzhou
China can also boast of a long railway track. This road is one of the longest on domestic routes in the country. Its length is 4,980 km. The train covers this route in just 54 hours. Along the train route you can meet great amount attractions.
Continuing the theme in our time!