Leader in length of railways. The longest railway in the world - Trans-Siberian Railway

The United States of America has the world's longest network railways, 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 total length passenger range 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 railway networks in the world. Amtrak's national passenger rail network includes more than 30 rail routes connecting 500 destinations in 46 US states.

The US currently has a plan to create by 2030 national system high-speed railways with a length of 27 thousand km. 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 last 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 (RZD), covers 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 commissioned a high-speed express between St. Petersburg and Moscow (“Sapsan”), which did not perform well special success due to the fact that its movement proceeds along common paths with conventional trains. 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 railway operators that provide passenger services to some rural areas countries.

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 were already many proposals for the construction of high-speed lines, such as Toronto-Montreal, Calgary-Edmonton and Montreal-Boston, but none of them went 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 approximately 80% of total freight traffic and 99% of passenger traffic. long distances.

In addition to Deutsche Bahn, there are more than 150 private railway companies operating on 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 this 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-kilometre 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 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.

High-speed passenger transportation on long distances are known locally as Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), and the 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 transportation 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.

I am glad to welcome you, dear users and fans of railway transport. The topic of the article is the length of Russian railways. What do you think about this? Ever wondered similar question? Does the length of railways in Russia reach a high level?

Remember how in high school in math class we studied problems about the movement of transport from point A to point B, we looked at everything possible solutions tasks, analyzed each action, and all the data in the task, we can easily attribute length to this topic. Yes, quite strange word for a beginner in the field of railway transport. But here everything is elementary simple. Length is the well-known length, width and height of a certain territory; it has the property of being measured in different forms.

Transport, routes and length

Rail transport in Russian Federation can be called one of the largest railway networks around the world! In addition, this type of transport is one of the main ones, thanks to the work of railway vehicles, a number of freight and passenger transportation is carried out. About two percent of working-age citizens of Russia are involved in this area. It is known that today railway lines use great amount transport. Just imagine - more than 22 thousand locomotives, 890 thousand freight cars, 26 thousand passenger cars, as well as more than 15 thousand electric trains and diesel trains. Such numbers are mind-boggling!

As of 2013 length railroad tracks Russia is 85.3 thousand units. Total duration is the following mileage - 121 thousand, and this accompanies the fact that Russia ranks third, behind only the USA and China.

Electrification plays a significant role in railway transport in the Russian Federation. Thanks to this railway system, Russia ranks 2nd in the world, after China, where the electrified length of rail tracks is about 55.8 thousand kilometers, and is considered the largest railway.

Electrification is a system of working on a rail line using electric rolling stock, for example an electric train or an electric locomotive.

Back to the Future!

Railroads were popular back in the 19th century, when they were just emerging in Russia. The first railway is Tsarskoselskaya, with a duration of only some 27 km, it is located near the Tsarskoselskaya station and the village of Tsarskoye. Do you know anything about this?

The Nikolaev railway experienced great glory; its popularity dates back to century before last. It was more developed compared to the first ways. Length Nikolaevskaya road at the time of its operation was 645 km. Over time, additional lines were added. I think many people have heard about the Nikolaev Railway!

At the beginning of the last century, probably the most colossal railway of that time was created - the Trans-Siberian Railway. With the help of this road it was connected European part countries, also the Urals with Far East, its length is 9288.2 km, which is far from 27 Tsarskoye Selo units!

IN Soviet period, All railway territories were transferred to state ownership. As a result, almost all outdated transport underwent reconstruction, most roads were converted to diesel traction, rails were replaced, and automatic train control was installed. Conclusion - for the times Soviet power the railway sector felt the impact maximum development and perfection. Since the 90s, the condition of the stations has deteriorated significantly, and the construction of new roads has stopped. But, after the 2000s, the development of the railway sector increased sharply.

As of 2030, the length of railways in the Russian Federation should be about 107.6 thousand. But if certain requirements are not met, the chances of achieving the desired result will be zero, and the development of the rail sector will remain at its level without any movement.

The longest duration of railways in the world is considered to be the American Railway, which is 293.6 thousand km, and this is the state for 2014. What can we say about 2016, probably over the course of two years, it underwent a number of changes and adjustments, became more popular and larger in size.

The duration of Russian rail tracks is increasing significantly, the difference can be seen year by year from 2013 to 2014, the difference in just one year already reaches 2 thousand kilometers of railway lines. Every year the length of Russia's railways is expected to increase and increase in size.

What do you think about the duration of railway lines throughout the world, and not just about the three leading countries?! As of 2006, the world's length of railways reaches 1,370,782 kilometers. What can we say about the world length today. Just imagine how many changes have occurred over the course of 10 years. In countries former USSR as of 1990, the length reached 145.6 thousand kilometers.

I believe that length will always be relevant, not only in the field of rail transport, even if it is even a calculation of duration coastline Black Sea. This knowledge about length, width and height is laid down in us from childhood and adolescence. And then we ask ourselves, why do we need the subject of arithmetic?! Will these tasks of calculating cut and height really be useful in the future, because I want to become a humanist, and mathematical sciences have nothing to do with me. The answer has come naturally - logic, quick calculations, friendship with numbers and units should always go hand in hand with us, because the formula that remained on the page of the 8th grade textbook, and not in memory, could have benefited us right now, and perhaps would play an important role.

“There is a well-known theory, proven many times in practice, that no matter how big number There were no more people in the carriage; one more person could always enter. First with one leg, then with both legs, with his jacket sandwiched between the doors, but he will get in. Method mathematical induction proves: he can enter the carriage infinite number of people. " - Kitya Carlson.

I want to bring interesting example. What can you say about the Moscow metro? Have you ever thought about its length, height, width, in general, about its length? Its duration can be either operational or deployed. What's the difference?! The operational length is measured along the axis of the main track, and is 292.9 kilometers, while the deployed duration of the tracks is the sum of the lengths of all tracks, the developed duration reaches 801.3 km. The Moscow metro is considered the largest in terms of length in Russia. Did you know anything about this?

I want to believe that my article was quite instructive and informative, I hope you learned and found here everything you needed.

Thank you for your attention! All the best, see you again!

The Trans-Siberian Railway or the Great Siberian Road, which connects the Russian capital Moscow with Vladivostok, was until recently honorary title the world's longest railway. But when the New Silk Road was launched, it moved the Trans-Siberian Railway to second place, since it became noticeably longer than the previous record holder. The longest railway routes include unique routes with a length of many thousands of kilometers, during which a person can learn a lot of new things about our planet.

1. Madrid-Iwu, or “New Silk Road” (13,052 km)

Nowadays, delivering goods from the Middle Kingdom to Europe does not require dangerous months-long off-road journeys on horses and camels. However, to avoid this, huge investments are required. The Chinese have historically dreamed of making the direction to the West profitable, fast and reliable, and at some point they attracted Russian specialists to cooperation.
The length of the railway line from big name The “New Silk Road” was 13,052 kilometers. This is exactly how much railway track was needed to connect the capital of Spain with the small Chinese town of Yiwu. After completion of construction, this railway became the world record holder for length. The Chinese government did not skimp and spent about $40 billion to improve the railway infrastructure and increase the tonnage of goods transported along it.
At the end of 2014, I solemnly set off on my journey. train from the Chinese city of Yiwu, located on the coast Pacific Ocean, and after 21 days he finished in distant Madrid. This was the beginning of the world's longest railway line. Unfortunately, the quality of the track does not yet allow comfortable express passenger express trains to run along it. strong influence provided by weather and other natural factors, but despite this, the beginning of the operation of this highway allowed the world economy to rise one step higher.

2. Moscow-Vladivostok, or Trans-Siberian Railway (9,289 km)

This road passes exclusively through Russian territory, it was the first to connect Europe and Asia globally. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in 1891. Returning from a months-long sea cruise from Japan, the heir to the throne Nikolai Romanov (future the last Emperor Nicholas II) laid the first stone of the Ussuri Railway in the vicinity of Vladivostok. The longest railway in Russia, like beads, strung 87 cities on itself, 5 federal districts and 8 time zones. 81% of the length of this route is in the Asian part, and the rest is in the European part.
The Soviet builders of the BAM could have envied the speed of construction of this railway line - the route from Kotlas and Miass to Port Arthur and Vladivostok appeared in just 13.5 years (1891-1904). Basically, the “cast iron” passed through undeveloped lands, areas permafrost. Through large rivers many bridges were built. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed on October 1 (old style) 1904. But even after the official completion, construction continued for many years. For example, only in 1938 was the second track completed. This legendary railway, with a length of 9289 kilometers, was launched at the height of the First World War - in 1916.
To get from the capital to Vladivostok, a traveler will need to spend 167 hours on the train, which will make 120 stops during this time. Traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway is akin to a long tourist voyage - passengers will see many famous people along the way. settlements, natural attractions of incredible beauty and pristineness. In addition, winding up kilometers, the train gradually crosses 8 time zones.


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3. Moscow-Beijing (8,984 km)

Russia and China are long-time partners with common interests not only in politics and economics, but also in culture. It is not surprising that the capitals of these huge countries were connected by a direct railway line, which stretches for 8984 kilometers. The journey from one capital to another lasts about 145 hours. A significant part of the train route travels along the already mentioned Trans-Siberian Railway, but in Chita, cars heading to China turn towards the Chinese border. This is followed by a 6-hour stop in Zabaikalsk, where border control and a change of wheelsets are carried out, since the track width in the two countries is different.

4. Far Eastern Railway (6,826 km)

The length of this route is 6826 kilometers. The railway management is located in Khabarovsk. Throughout the journey, the train passes through 416 stations, as well as 3 crossing points state border. Travelers sitting on the train will not get bored, as they can admire the nature of the reserves and the view of permafrost zones.

5. Gorky railway (5,296 km)

In 1936, the Gorky Railway with a length of 5296 kilometers was formed. This highway is being modernized all the time, for example, in 2010, Sapsan, a high-speed electric train produced by the German company Siemens, began running along it, which began delivering passengers for more a short time. For example, using it to get from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod became possible in 3.5 hours. Every year over 52 million passengers travel along the Gorky Railway. For Russia, this direction has long been an important economic and political factor; along its path there are historical cities, along the way you can see large forests and picturesque landscapes.


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6. Lhasa-Guangzhou (4,980 km)

Inside China there is another long railway with 4980 kilometer pillars. Bound by her seaport Guangzhou and mainland Lhasa, located in the Tibetan Plateau. Train T264 covers this epic journey in 54.5 hours. The guides tell passengers about the sights flashing outside the windows on three languages. The train has a 24-hour restaurant where you can sample Tibetan and Chinese cuisine.
China in last decades reached a leading position in the world in organizing modern networks railways. The Chinese are using the latest construction technologies, putting modern railways on high speed trains, capable of racing much faster than conventional cars.

7. Yining-Shanghai (4,742 km)

In 2014, traffic was opened on a new railway route connecting Shanghai and Yining, 4,742 kilometers long. Passenger trains move along it, and they successively cross 7 Chinese provinces, in which they make 32 stops. The travel time is 56 hours, during which passengers cross most of China and have the opportunity to admire its beauty, of which there really is a lot.

8. Urumqi-Guangzhou (4,684 km)

This railway connects the northwestern lands of China with its southeastern regions, its length was 4684 kilometers, and it would take 49.5 hours to overcome them. There are three trains operating here, which most often carry businessmen, politicians and just travelers who want to get to Guangzhou.

9. Toronto-Vancouver (4,466 km)

In Canada, VIA Rail trains run between Vancouver and Toronto along a route of 4,466 kilometers. They make 66 stops along the way. But passengers sitting in comfortable carriages do not have to be bored, as the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the untouched Canadian taiga and various natural attractions flash past the windows. Passengers often manage to not only admire the scenery, but also see deer, elk or bears.


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10. Chicago - Los Angeles (4,390 km)

The transcontinental American highway connects Los Angeles and Chicago, which are located on opposite sides North American continent. This route serves state company Amtrak. The length of the route is 4,390 kilometers, which trains cover on average in 65 hours. During their journey, they cross 7 states and make 40 stops along the way. For the convenience of travelers, the train cars have a special design - there are windows not only on their sides, but also on the roof.


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, the 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. A trip along it 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 of the country. Its length is 4,980 km. The train covers this route in just 54 hours. Along the train route you can see a huge number of attractions.

Continuing the theme in our time!



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