The longest railway in the world. From China to Madrid. The longest railways in the world
The United States of America has the world's longest railway network, followed by China and India. We present to your attention the longest railways in the world based on their total operating length.
And so, let's go!
United States: 250 thousand km
The US railway network, with a length of more than 250,000 km, is the largest in the world. Freight lines make up about 80% of the country's entire railway network, and the total length of passenger lines is about 35,000 km.
The US freight rail network consists of 538 railroads (7 Class I railroads, 21 regional railroads, and 510 local railroads) operated by private organizations. Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway are among the largest freight railroad networks in the world. Amtrak's national passenger rail network includes more than 30 rail routes connecting 500 destinations in 46 US states.
Currently, the United States has a plan to create a national high-speed rail system with a length of 27 thousand km by 2030. Construction of the California High Speed Rail Link, the nation's first high-speed rail project, already began in 2014. Three other high-speed projects are also in development, including the Midwest High-Speed Rail line connecting Chicago to Indianapolis or St. Louis, the Texas High-Speed Rail and the Northeast High-Speed Corridor.
China: 100 thousand km
China's railway network, with a length of more than 100 thousand km, ranks second in the world. In 2013, the extensive network operated by the state-owned China Railway Corporation carried 2.08 billion passengers (second largest after Indian Railways) and 3.22 billion tons of freight (second largest after the US rail network).
Railroad is the main mode of transport in China. The country's railway network includes more than 90 thousand km of conventional railway routes and about 10 thousand km of high-speed lines. By 2050, the country's total railway network should exceed 270 thousand km.
Rapid expansion of China's high-speed rail network in recent years makes it the largest in the world. The Beijing-Guangzhou High Speed Line (2,298 km) is the world's longest high-speed rail line. According to forecasts, by 2020 the total length of the Chinese high-speed rail network will reach 50 thousand km.
Russia: 85,500 km
The entire Russian railway network, managed by the state monopolist "Russian railways"(Russian Railways), has more than 85,500 km. In 2013, Russian Railways transported 1.08 billion passengers and 1.2 billion tons of cargo - the third largest volume of cargo after the United States and China.
The Russian railway network includes 12 main lines, many of which provide direct connections to European and Asian national railway systems such as Finland, France, Germany, Poland, China, Mongolia and North Korea. The Trans-Siberian Railway (Moscow-Vladivostok line), with a length of 9,289 km, is the longest and one of the busiest railway lines in the world.
In 2009, Russian Railways put into operation a high-speed express between St. Petersburg and Moscow (“Sapsan”), which was not particularly successful due to the fact that its movement proceeds along common lines. conventional formulations ways. Following this, a dedicated express corridor was planned between the two cities with a proposed investment of $35 billion.
India: 65 thousand km
India's nationwide railway network, the fourth largest in the world, is owned and operated by Indian Railways and covers an operational route of over 65,000 km. In 2013, the Indian railway network transported about 8 billion passengers (1st place in the world) and 1.01 million tons of cargo (4th place in the world).
The Indian railway network is divided into 17 zones and serves more than 19 thousand trains per day, including 12 thousand passenger and 7 thousand freight. By 2017, the national railway operator planned to add 4 thousand km of new lines, as well as significantly transform existing ones. It also plans to build a 3,338 km exclusive freight network with the introduction of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) - two of the six planned dedicated freight corridors.
As a pilot project, the country is building a 534 km long high-speed line on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route with an estimated investment of US$9.65 billion.
Canada: 48 thousand km
Canada's railway lines are the fifth largest in the world. Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) are the two major transit rail networks operating in the country, and Via Rail operates 12,500 km of intercity passenger rail service. Algoma Central Railway and Ontario Northland Railway are among the few small rail operators that provide passenger service to some rural areas of the country.
Three Canadian cities - Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver - have extensive commuter systems. In addition, Rocky Mountaineer and Royal Canadian Pacific offer luxury rail tours that take in the beauty of the country's scenic mountain regions.
However, Canada does not have a single high-speed line on its rail network. Until recently, there have been many proposals for high-speed lines such as Toronto-Montreal, Calgary-Edmonton and Montreal-Boston, but none have moved beyond preliminary studies since January 2014.
Germany: 41 thousand km
The state-owned Deutsche Bahn operates a 41,000 km railway network, which accounts for about 80% of total freight traffic and 99% of long-distance passenger traffic.
In addition to Deutsche Bahn, there are more than 150 private railway companies operating in the network, providing regional passenger and freight services. The S-Bahn serves major suburban and urban areas, and Hamburg Cologne Express (HKX) is the major long-distance passenger operator after Deutsche Bahn.
Since mid-2013, the German railway network has had more than 1,300 km of high-speed lines and more than 400 km of new high-speed lines under construction. In 1991, Deutsche Bahn pioneered the InterCity Express (ICE) high-speed service. Now, a high-speed network, allowing express trains to reach speeds of up to 320 km/h, connects major German cities and neighboring countries such as France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria.
Australia: 40 thousand km
The Australian rail network is the seventh largest in the world. Much of the rail network infrastructure is owned and maintained by the Australian Government, either federally or state level. However, most trains are operated by private companies.
Aurizon (formerly QR National), Genesee and Wyoming Australia, and Pacific National are among the country's major cargo operators. Great Southern Railway, NSW TrainLink and Queensland Rail are the leading long distance freight operators. Metro Trains Melbourne, Sydney Trains, V/Line and Adelaide Metro provide commuter passenger services to major Australian destinations. In addition, the country has a number of private mountain railways.
On at the moment The Australian rail network does not have a high speed line. So far there are only plans for its construction - it should connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. With an estimated construction cost of $114 billion, the first phase of the 1,748-kilometer high-speed network won't be delivered until 2035.
Argentina: 36 thousand km
Argentina's current rail network of over 36,000 km ranks eighth in the world. At the end of World War II, Argentina had about 47 thousand km of railway tracks, which were operated mainly by British and French railway companies. But declining profits and increased highway construction in subsequent decades led to a reduction in the network to 36 thousand km, which remains at this level to this day. In 1948, the railway companies operating on the network were nationalized and the state railway corporation Ferrocarriles Argentinos was formed.
The Argentine Railway was privatized between 1992 and 1995, with concessions awarded to various private companies to operate six divisions of the formerly state-owned railway network. Cities such as Buenos Aires, Resistencia and Mendoza offer extensive commuter passenger services as well as long-distance domestic passenger services.
Argentina's much-discussed high-speed rail is still only a dream. In 2006, development of a 310-kilometer high-speed line between Buenos Aires and Rosario was announced. However, the project was not implemented. A second high-speed line of 400 km between Rosario and Cordoba has also been proposed.
France: 29 thousand km
The French railway network is the second largest in Europe and the ninth largest in the world. The French railway network is predominantly focused on passenger transport. More than 50% of the country's railway lines are electrified. Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) is the country's main railway operator.
The country's high-speed, long-distance passenger services are known as Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), while standard long-distance passenger services are branded Intercités. Short and medium distance passenger transport services are known as Transport Express Régional (TER). The network offers connections to neighboring countries such as Belgium, Italy and the UK.
France was one of the first to develop technology for high-speed rail, with SNCF introducing the TGV high-speed rail in 1981. The country's current high-speed network exceeds 1,550 km. The Tours-Bordeaux high-speed rail project, which was due to be completed in 2017, will add another 302 km.
Brazil: 28 thousand km
The first railway line in Brazil began operating in 1984. In 1957, the railway network was nationalized and the Rede Ferroviária Federal Sociedade Anônima (RFFSA) was created. The country's railway network has been divided into different services, which have been operated by a number of private and public operators since 2007.
The 28,000 km network is mainly focused on freight and iron ore. Passenger transport services in the country are mainly concentrated in urban and suburban areas. Eight Brazilian cities have a metro system, the largest being the São Paulo Metro.
In 2012, the Brazilian government announced the construction of 10 thousand km of new freight and high-speed passenger lines by 2042. The country also plans to build a high-speed rail link between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with a length of 511 km.
Railways - main transport network, which encircles the entire Russian Federation. They run from sparsely populated areas to the largest metropolises, connecting all regions of the country.
Railways are the main transport network that encircles the entire Russian Federation. They run from sparsely populated areas to the largest metropolises, connecting all regions of the country. The railway tracks on the territory of our state have a total length of 121 thousand km and are located in picturesque areas. Below is a rating of the 5 longest railways in Russia.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a global giant among the railways of the whole world!
The first place is rightfully occupied by the Trans-Siberian Railway (Trans-Siberian Railway) with a total length of 9288.2 km. The legendary road, opened in 1916, rightfully occupies first place not only in the Russian Federation, but also in the world. It runs through Eurasia and connects the Central and Far Eastern regions. Travel time from the starting station in Moscow to the final destination in Vladivostok is approximately 167 hours or about 7 days. During the train's journey, there will be 120 stops.
A unique week-long tourist tour awaits all passengers of the train moving along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The main thing is that such a route will open up for travelers beautiful places not only new cities, but also natural nature, untouched by civilization. In addition, traveling along this route, passengers cross 11 time zones.
The Far Eastern Railway is the leading direction in the Russian Federation
The second place in terms of length is occupied by the Far Eastern Railway. The length of the operating track is 6826.2 km. Today, the transport route runs through the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, the Republic of Sakha, the Sakhalin, Amur and Jewish Autonomous Regions. At the moment, the management of this railway is located in Khabarovsk. Along the entire route, passengers will find 416 stations and 3 border crossings.
For tourists, this path is of particular importance: it passes through permafrost zones and national reserves. In addition, passengers can be sure that they will travel in comfortable and warm carriages of modern trains.
Gorky Railway is one of the largest railway routes in the country
The Gorky Railway entered the top three. It was formed in 1936 and has a length of 5296 km. This route represents two parallel latitudinal directions: Moscow - Kirov and Moscow - Yekaterinburg.
The peculiarity of this railway is constant modernization. Thanks to this, the Sapsan high-speed electric train was launched in 2010, which was able to deliver passengers much faster. For example, the journey from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod began to take 3.5 hours, which guarantees quick transfers during the trip.
The Gorky Railway transports 52.7 million passengers annually. Travelers are attracted to this railway route by the infrastructure of the cities and their attractions, as well as dense forests, steppes and a number of other unique landscapes.
The Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) is one of the most significant transport arteries in Russia
The fourth place definitely belongs to the Baikal-Amur Railway with a total length of 4,324 km. Construction of this railway track lasted from 1938 to 1984. Its path passes through 11 major Russian rivers and 7 mountain ranges.
Such long term construction is justified by the geography of the highway and the complexity of the project. It was necessary to build an additional 2,230 bridges different sizes, break through 8 tunnels. In addition, there was a need to organize 200 railway stations in more than 60 major cities and sparsely populated areas.
Tourists choose this road largely because of its proximity to Lake Baikal, a reservoir that stores 1/3 of the earth's fresh water. One of the attractions that all train passengers on this route will encounter is the North Muisky Tunnel. It is considered the largest in Russia.
East Siberian Railway - a picturesque route of Russia
The East Siberian Railway with a length of 3876 km closes the ranking. The peculiarity of this route is that it is part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. It also includes the Baikal-Amur Railway.
For travelers, it will become one of the most interesting routes, which can introduce train passengers to the unique geographical landscapes of Buryatia, the Amur and Chita regions. The Trans-Baikal National Reserve in Buryatia is a special place for every tourist, capable of captivating not only with the beauty of untouched nature, but also with its fauna.
On the territory of the Chita region there is the Ivano-Arakhleisky reserve, in which the natural ecosystem has been preserved. Amur region rich in unique natural attractions. On its territory there are nature reserves where the world's rarest animals live.
We know about cable cars, highways, railways and so on. Each of them has its own record holder - there are the straightest, longest, fastest roads.
The longest cable car
The highest and longest cable car in the world began operating in 2010 in Armenia. Its length is five kilometers, seven hundred meters. The construction was carried out by the Swiss company Garaventa. The construction cost was thirteen million euros. It leads to the Tatev Monastery. Three supports were built between the two stations: one above the village of Halidzor, the second near the Tatev Monastery. The cable car cabin seats up to twenty-five people and can accelerate to thirty-seven kilometers per hour. The cable car in Armenia has the lyrical name Wings of Tatev Tatev Monastery is one of the brightest monuments of medieval architecture in Armenia. The construction of the cable car was of great importance for the country. The fact is that before the advent of the cable car, getting into the monastery complex was not easy, since the road leading to it was impassable. Now, to travel the entire distance by cable car, you only need to spend eleven minutes.
The longest road in Russia
The longest railway in Russia is the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its construction began in 1891. Length - nine thousand two hundred eighty-eight kilometers. It stretches across the entire Eurasian continent. Its second name is the Great Siberian Way. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest road in Russia. Its length is more than 9 thousand km.
Among the world's highways, the longest was built in Russia.
We are talking about the Amur federal highway, which connects the Center of Russia with the Far East. The history of the M58 Chita-Khabarovsk highway goes back more than one decade. It was built in parts. The idea of the Moscow Highway, which would run parallel to the Trans-Siberian Railway, first arose back in 1905. Military road workers began construction only in 1978. The road had to pass through impassable taiga. Fifteen years later, only six hundred kilometers of highway were built, not of the best quality. The road from Khabarovsk to Chita took five days. Only at the end of the twentieth century the question of completing the construction of the Amur highway again arose. Khabarovsk-Chita is the last completed section of the longest highway. Thanks to the Federal Target Program, road construction continued. Now there is through traffic between Vladivostok and Moscow. The length of the Amur highway is two thousand ninety-seven kilometers. There are almost two thousand artificial structures and two hundred and eighty bridges on it.
The longest railway.
The longest railway is in Russia and is called the Trans-Siberian Railway. It stretched for nine thousand two hundred and eighty-eight kilometers across all of Eurasia, passing through all the largest outlets to Europe and Asia, capturing the port cities of the Pacific Ocean. During the year, transportation weighing about one hundred million tons is carried out along this highway. The beginning of the Trans-Siberian Railway is considered to be the Yaroslavl Station in Moscow, and its end is the Vladivostok Station in the Golden Horn Bay (Sea of Japan).
The longest high-speed railway is in China.
In 2012, the longest high-speed railway began operating in China. The length of the line was two thousand two hundred kilometers. It stretches from Guangzhou to Beijing. Trains move along it at a speed of three hundred kilometers per hour and cover the entire route in just eight hours. During the journey the train makes thirty-five stops. For comparison, the journey from Guangzhou to Beijing used to take twenty-two hours. Up to two hundred thousand people can travel along this road every day. China occupies a leading position in terms of the length of high-speed railways. On long section On the expressway, trains travel at speeds of 300 km/h. There is another longest railway - a plastic toy railway. It was built in Shanghai. The longest plastic track is two kilometers, eight hundred and eighty-eight meters long and consists of almost fourteen thousand sections. This toy railway was used to launch Thomas the Tank Engine. The previous record for the length of a plastic railway belongs to Japan, but the length of the previous track was twenty percent less.
The longest straight road in the world
The straightest, most boring and longest road in the world is considered to be the Eyre Highway. Along the sides of the road there is nothing on which to linger, there are no picturesque landscapes, no villages, no cities, no natural water, no motels, that is, absolutely nothing even slightly interesting. The longest straight road in the world is in Australia. The length of this straight highway is one thousand two hundred kilometers. It stretches along the Nullabor Valley from Norsman to Siduna. This high-quality, good road can be driven by any car. Large wild animals can add some variety to this trip, sometimes coming out to stroll along the highway at dusk.
The longest direct railway in Russia is Moscow-St. Petersburg
The length of the largest railway in the world is 9298.2 km. It is called the Trans-Siberian Railway, or, otherwise, the Trans-Siberian Railway. What is noteworthy: this route passes through the territory of Russia, and it is the longest railway in the world, connecting Europe and Asia.
When did construction start
The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in 1891. At that time, the future Emperor Nicholas II laid the first stone of the Ussuri Railway, not far from Vladivostok. At that time it was not even imagined that the construction would take on such a large scale. Only after a while was the idea put forward of creating a railway line that would run to the European part of Russia.
On the recommendation of Witte, who initiated the project, a special committee was formed, the chairman of which was Tsarevich Nicholas. The heir to the throne had previously made a long trip from the shores of the Pacific Ocean through the territory of Siberia, and given the scale of his empire, Nicholas II came to the conclusion that the project was necessary.
The meaning of Transsib
This route connects Moscow with large industrial cities of the country, which are located in the Far East and in Eastern Siberia. In fact, the longest railway in the world crosses the entire territory of the country, connecting the capital and Vladivostok. To be more precise, it connects the European part of the country, Siberia, the Urals, Far East, and, in general, ports to Europe and Asia.
The world's longest railway passes through 87 Russian cities, crossing two continents, 5 Central Federal Districts, 8 time zones. By the way, in percentage The length of this railway route in the Asian part of the country is 81%, and the rest is in Europe. It is not surprising that the Trans-Siberian Railway is the largest railway in the world. Where this highway is located and which continents it connects is clear from the information above.
Construction of a railway route from Asia to Europe
Now it seems incredible, but the longest railway in the world was built at a very fast pace: in 13.5 years (from 1891 to 1904) a route was laid from Miass and Kotlas to Vladivostok and Port Arthur. Considering the difficult conditions in which the workers worked to build the highway, the speed of its construction was incredible, even by today's standards. It is worth remembering that in those days the level of technical equipment was much lower than it is now.
The area in which the longest railway in the world was built was largely undeveloped by humans: most of it was occupied by areas where permafrost reigned, the steel track passed through large rivers and bridges. During the process of hard work, the workers had to overcome many difficulties to build this road. Bridges were laid across powerful Siberian rivers, tunnels were built, and other work was carried out that required a lot of effort and money.
And finally, in October 1905, this enormous work came to an end. The birthday of the Trans-Siberian Railway is September 18 (October 1), 1904. It is worth noting that after this date work did not stop for many years. So, the second track was completed in Soviet times, namely in 1938.
As a result, now the most extreme points of the highway relative to the cardinal points are: in the west - Moscow-3, in the east - Khabarovsk-2, in the north - Kirov, and in the south - Vladivostok. The beginning of the Trans-Siberian Railway is Yaroslavsky Station (Moscow), the end is the eastern outskirts of Russia (Vladivostok Station).
The Siberian Railway has no equal in the whole world in many respects, and not only in its size. The speed of construction, the scale of the work, and the severity of the conditions in which they had to work are impressive. It is impossible not to mention some facts related to the construction of the described path:
- As already noted, the project was implemented at a high pace - it amounted to 740 km per year, which is a serious indicator even for modern construction.
- As a result of continuous and hard work, the Western line of the road already approached Irkutsk in 1898.
- Instead of the various equipment that now does most of the work, at that time a huge force of workers was used. For example, in 1895-1896, about 90 thousand people took part in construction. Among them were prisoners and soldiers, among others.
- The highest point of the route is Yablonovy Pass - here the railway rises 1019 m above sea level. It is located between Yablonovaya and Turgutui stations. The second highest point (900 m) is located at Kizha station, and just below 900 m is Andrianovsky Pass.
- The most severe climatic place through which the Trans-Siberian Railway passes is the Mogocha - Skovorodino section. The temperature here drops to -62°C, and there is a permafrost zone here.
- The fastest train goes from Moscow to Vladivostok in 6 days 2 hours.
- The mildest places in terms of climate are in the Vladivostok region. It is worth noting that basically the entire length of the Trans-Siberian Railway passes through places with a harsh or temperate climate.
- It is noted that the actual length of the railway is somewhat less and is 9288.2 km (5772 miles). This number is indicated on the sign installed at the end of the highway in Vladivostok. The sign in Moscow indicating zero kilometer has two numbers: 0 and 9298 km. It indicates exactly the tariff length by which ticket prices are calculated.
- Full electrification of the road was completed in 2002.
- In Europe, the length of the route was 1,777 km, in Asia - 7,512 km. The conventional border of these two continents is located at the 1778th kilometer of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In this place, near the city of Pervouralsk, a memorial sign called “The Border of Europe and Asia” was erected.
Branches from the main Trans-Siberian route
As we already know, the longest railway in the world connects Moscow and Vladivostok, but, in addition to the main highway, there are several branches. Let's look at them in more detail.
In the period from 1940 to 1956, the Trans-Mongolian Highway was built: it ran between the city of Ulan-Ude and Beijing. The road from Ulan-Ude heads south, crossing the entire territory of Mongolia, and the final point is the capital of China. The distance between the two capitals along this highway is 7867 km.
At Karymskaya station there is another branch from the main route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The railway line turns after it in a south-eastern direction, passing through Zabaikalsk and Manchuria. Just like the Trans-Mongolian Highway, it reaches the capital of China. The length of this route from Moscow to Beijing is almost 9000 kilometers.
In 1984, the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) was officially opened. The starting point of this route is the city of Taishet, and the final point is Sovetskaya Gavan (a city on the shores of the Pacific Ocean). BAM is located several hundred kilometers north of the Trans-Siberian Railway and runs parallel to the main railway.
Cost of highway construction
Before starting the project to build the Great Siberian Route, the costs that its construction would incur were calculated. The figure turned out to be considerable - 350 million rubles in gold. In order to reduce the cost of production, as well as speed up its pace, for the line that ran from Chelyabinsk to the Ob River, simplified technical specifications. The construction of the entire road had to cost a huge amount, equal to almost 1.5 billion rubles (in the money of that time).
Transsib - the great railway route
So, the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses 2 republics, 12 regions, 5 territories, 1 district, 1 autonomous region. The highway passes through 87 cities.
On its way, this railway crosses many of the largest rivers (16 in total): Volga, Vyatka, Irtysh, Kama, Tobol, Yenisei, Tom, Chulym, Ussuri, Amur, Khor, Selenga, Oka, Bureya, Zeya. The widest crossing point among them is on the Amur River (2 km). The same figure for rivers such as the Ob and Yenisei is 1 km, since the railway passes through them only in the upper reaches.
The most dangerous river that the Trans-Siberian encounters along the way is the Khor. During the flood period, it can rise to a height of 9 m. And the Transbaikal River Khilok in 1897 during the flood period caused greatest harm highways throughout its history. It then destroyed most of the western section of the Trans-Baikal road. Following the Trans-Siberian Railway, you can see the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. It runs along it for 207 km.
Now we know what the longest railway in the world is and where it is located. The scale of its construction is truly impressive, and for a long time it has maintained its record for its length. The longest railway in the world, which is called the Trans-Siberian Railway, is the real pride of Russia.
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