Russia may not, as we noted in a previous post, have a paved road from Europe to the Far East. But, since 25 December 2002, it has had an all-electrified railway from capital to Pacific Coast.

Electrification of the Trans-Siberian Railway (Транссибирская магистраль, Transsibirskaya magistral', often abbreviated as Транссиб Transsib) was started in 1929. The 1.5 kV dc system was used at first, based on the results of Italian tests from the mid-1920s. The traction voltage was increased to 3 kV dc from 1956. Later, 25 kV ac traction was developed and used for some sections.

Electrification was completed to Хабаровск Khabarovsk by 1994. The project to electrify the remaining 264 miles started in 1999. The final 175-km (109-mi) segment opened at the end of 2002, between Ружино Ruzhino and Свиягино Sviyagino, is located about half way between Хабаровск Khabarovsk and Владивосток Vladivostok.

Sections by traction type:

Москва Moscow - Данилов Danilov, 356 km (221 mi), 3 kV dc.

Данилов Danilov - Балезино Balezino, 836 km (518 mi), 25 kV ac.

Балезино Balezino - Мариинск Mariinsk, 2,521 km (1,563 mi), 3 kV dc.

Мариинск Mariinsk - Владивосток Vladivostok, 5,576 km (3,457 mi), 25 kV ac.

The railway is double-track throughout. The last single-track section, the Amur River bridge near Хабаровск Khabarovsk, was replaced during the mid-1990s.

A "Pravda Online" article dated September 5, 2003 (http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/09/05/49812.html ) states that the RZhD network is the world's second in length (86,000 km / 53,000 mi), and first in electrification (more than 80 percent). We’re not certain if this refers to electrified route length or traffic moved by electric traction). RZhD moves just below 50 percent of all freight in Russian, and accounts for more than 20 percent of world freight turnover and 15 percent of world passenger turnover. Again, we’re not certain what this CCCP-style bragging refers to: ALL freight / passenger turnover, RAIL freight / passenger turnover, or ?

The Trans-Siberian carried 375 million tons of freight in 2002, including 55 million tons of "foreign trade" goods. 51.1 million tons of the later figure were exports, and 2.3 million tons exports.

An article by Sergei Tarkhov states that the total Russian railway route length is nearly 148,000 km (92,000 mi), including non-public lines (http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/FOR/russia_cd/trans_des.htm ). Tarknov states that the system available for "public use" (owned by the Railway Ministry) has a system length of about 86,000 km (53,000 mi), of which 39.8 percent is electrified (i.e. 34,000 km / 21,000 mi).

Российские железные дороги RZhD (Rossiyskie Zeleznye Dorogi; “Russian Railways") is well positioned to profit immensely from "transit" traffic between Western Europe and the Pacific Rim, as the Ministry of Railways is well aware. RZhD can deliver containers from the Pacific port of Находка Nakhodka (a bit east of Владивосток Vladivostok) to Брэст Brest, on the Poland - Belarus border, in 12 days. Cargo vessels require almost a month between Busan (Pusan), South Korea, and Western Europe. The completed electrification will permit higher speeds, and doubling of train weight (to 6,000 tons). The increased capacity will permit an increase in transit freight volume by 500,000 [6-meter] 20-foot containers per year. This volume of additional traffic would generate [U.S.] $1 billion in profit per year for RZhD. ("Pravda Online,"

 http://english.pravda.ru/economics/2002/12/25/41346_.html ).

RZhD plans to rebuild its 260-km (161-mi) branch from Уссурийск Ussuriysk, near Владивосток Vladivostok, to Хасан Khasan on the (North) Korean border. This is planned to connect with the "Trans-Korean Railway," a project using restored rail links between North and South Korea.

(The Russians have concluded that they could make a lot of money by attracting a share of South Korea's export traffic.)

One more thing. The current RZhD formal title is OAO Rossiyskie Zeleznye Dorogi; in English, "JSC Russian Railways;" JSC stands for "Joint Stock Company." Da, Comrades, RZhD has technically been privatized!!!

For Further Reading:

A great deal of information is available online.Readers interested in the subject might check out the "Trans-Siberian Railway Web Encyclopedia," http://www.transsib.ru/Eng . This site is excellent; we congratulate webmasters Sergey Sigachyov and Mikhail Krainov for their heroic efforts to make all this available in English (and German) as well as Russian.

A paper with many details about a prospective "Trans-Siberian Land Bridge:” Tsuji, Hisako. "Perspectives on Linking the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Korean Railways." ERINA Report, Vol. 56, February 2004 (PDF document): http://www.erina.or.jp/en/Research/db/pdf2003/03034e.pdf  

Trans-Korean Railway page of Korean Railroad Research Institute: http://www.krri.re.kr/krri/np/trans/20060727/1_13332.html 

A report on reconstruction of rail links between the two Koreas: Na Hee-Seung. "State of Works on the Reconstruction of Trans-Korean Railway and its Linkage with the Trans-Continental Railways" (PDF document): http://www.nabh.go.kr/board/data/archive/337/331.pdf 

In 2000, during the first round of inter-Korean ministerial talks, officials of the two Koreas agreed to reopen rail links across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). South Korea held a groundbreaking ceremony in September 2000, and eventually financed work on the North Korean side. The work was completed in 2003, but ceremonial test operations were postpond repeatedly.

British newspaper story from 2001, "A ten-day ride to Moscow for the Dear Leader who doesn't fly:" http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010727/ai_n14416545  

Russia and North Korea signed an agreement in 2001 that, at the time, was described as one that "could culminate in the reconstruction of a rail link that unites the divided Korean peninsula" http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/english/200108/15/eng20010815_77353.html .

Guardian Unlimited story on the cross-border test trains operated on 17 May 2007 http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,,2081422,00.html , and accompanying photo section: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2007/may/17/1?picture=329868681  

South Korean commentary (in English) dated 21 May 2007 on prospects for regular inter-Korean rail service (Joong Ang Daily story on North Korean Economy Watch webpage, avoids formatting problems we encountered on the Joong Ang Daily webpage):

http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2007/05/21/inter-korean-railroad-faces-huge-obstacles/