What do you know about the railroad. Interesting facts about Russian railways

The opening of the railway communication Moscow - St. Petersburg was a real event. That's just the common people were in no hurry to use the innovation. A terrible rumbling thing caused genuine fear. In order to promote rail transport to the masses, it was decided to make travel free. And this measure had an effect. Trains very soon ceased to be afraid.

The only pity is that free travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg is a thing of the past. The history of the action was short. It was possible to ride back and forth for free only in the first three days after the opening of the corresponding railway line.

The Magic of Numbers

The first trains in Russia and Europe were available to about 9% of the population of those cities between which rail links were being established. Today (on average, of course) every Russian travels by rail about 9 times a year. And the total number of guests has long exceeded 1.3 billion people a year.

Notable Transsib

Among domestic railways, the most remarkable was and remains the Trans-Siberian Railway. She has many statuses. For example, this railway is known as the longest in the world. The Trans-Siberian is 9438 kilometers, more than 8 days on the road. On the route, the train stops at 97 major stations and passes through many smaller ones.

And on the Trans-Siberian there is half the way. The station, located exactly in the middle of the railway between Moscow and Vladivostok, is called so. The distance from the "Half" to both cities is the same. The Trans-Siberian is also considered the coldest railway. Part of it passes through the climatic zone, where -62˚С is the usual temperature. A noteworthy fact: the coldest point of the route does not coincide with the northernmost.

The evolution of speed

The first passenger train in the world went on rails at a speed barely reaching the mark of 33 km/h. A little later, it was already possible to accelerate to 38 and even 42 kilometers per hour. Modern high-speed trains run along the railroad at a speed of 320–430 km/h. And experimental innovative compositions are capable of accelerating to 603 km / h. And this, as scientists and engineers say, is far from the limit.

Freight trains also set records

The first freight railway in Russia was only 2 kilometers long. This miracle of science and technology of its time was put into action - what would you think? Horse traction!

The longest freight trains in the history of the railway traveled to different parts of the world. One transported coal (no less - 42,000 tons per flight) to Uraliz Ekibastuz back in the era of the USSR. The train consisted of 440 cars. Their total length exceeded 6.5 kilometers.

The record was broken in South Africa. Here, a train of 660 wagons entered the route. Their total length was 7.3 km. But the experiment, unlike the Soviet one, had no practical meaning. The canvas could not withstand the load, and the railway had to be closed for a long time for repairs.

Safety first

Are you afraid to ride the train? Perhaps the following fact will help you change your attitude towards this transport. Traveling by rail is 45 times safer than traveling by road. The risk of getting into an accident in a train is much lower than in a car.

Do you want maximum security guarantees? Choose a carrier TKS. Their location in the composition and modern technical equipment ensure safety and comfort during the trip.

In Russia, the possibility of a railway was discussed back in the twenties of the 19th century, when the emperor learned that the railway saves treasury expenses and even increases wealth, as happens in England (at that time, rails were used to transport coal).

The initial idea was to create a connection between St. Petersburg and Moscow, but the question of the effectiveness, and most importantly, the profitability of such an enterprise for investors, remained open.
As the proverb says, “If you don’t try, you won’t know.” The commission and all kinds of meetings that were convened to solve the problem did not give a clear and precise answer. As a result, the professor of the Vienna Polytechnic Institute and the builder of the first public railway in Europe, Franz Gerstner, who was invited in 1834, was offered to build a road that would “link” the suburbs of St. Petersburg - Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk.

So that the zealots of progress would not be discouraged and would not think that the necessary road would never be built in St. Petersburg, they added that the Moscow-Petersburg line would appear "not before the end of the road ... and on inquiry from the experience of the benefits of such roads for the state, public and shareholders.

How to raise money for construction

Speaking of shareholders, it is worth noting that 700 people took part in the purchase of the relevant securities. To create capital, fifteen thousand shares were issued. The required amount of three million rubles was collected by subscription within six months.

Count Bobrinsky became one of the main sponsors of the railway. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

One of the ardent supporters of the construction was the famous sugar manufacturer, Count Aleksey Alekseevich Bobrinsky, the son of Major General Alexei Bobrinsky, born in an extramarital affair between Catherine II and Grigory Orlov. The grandson of the great empress acquired shares worth 250 thousand rubles.

Road opening

On November 11, 1837, the road was officially opened. For the sake of such a solemn occasion, Nicholas I and his wife were invited.

A prayer service was served on the station tracks, Gerstner, as a driver, got into the cab of a steam locomotive, and at half past one the train, to loud exclamations of surprise and approval, moved towards Pavlovsk, where it arrived thirty-five minutes later. The maximum speed of the first steam locomotive was 64 kilometers per hour, but for the safety of passengers on the first trip, the amazing car did not show all its strength.

Steel horse locomotive

Gerstner personally was the first to travel by rail. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

In the Vedomosti newspaper that day one could read a note: “It was Saturday, the townspeople flocked to the old regimental church of the Introduction near Semenovsky parade ground. They knew that an unusual railroad was opening and "a steel horse carrying many, many carriages at once" would set off for the first time.

However, not everyone managed to see the first train. Commoners were not allowed to the station itself, which had been built recently.

Exactly at 12:30 pm, a tiny locomotive blew a piercing whistle, and eight cars with a noble audience set off along the route Petersburg - Tsarskoye Selo.

The first days of operation of the road were trial, the passage is free, and the quality, as they say, is at the risk of the buyer.

However, there were no dissatisfied people: up to fifty people were packed into each of the cars - people of humble origin were given the opportunity to try out the new transport.

Despite the fact that the road had serious problems, the people considered the invention a kind of carousel: fast driving, a breeze blowing in the face, the smell of fields and arable land, and a slight fright at the sounds of an oncoming train.

The excitement was monstrous, and the crowds that besieged the locomotive were endless.

What did the wagons look like at the time?

The carriages on the train were divided along social lines. Thus, the composition of eight cars and a steam locomotive, which was built at the Stephenson factory in England and delivered to St. Petersburg by sea, consisted of four classes.

The most luxurious and vividly demonstrating the thickness of the gentleman’s wallet, who could afford to buy tickets for it, were the so-called “Berlins” - here the public could sit more relaxed in an easy chair, and people from the same social stratum sat opposite and to the side. There were eight such cars in total, followed by "stagecoaches" that accommodated a large number of people and "rulers" - open-type carts. Those that were with a roof were called “chaises”, those that did not have one were called “waggons”. The latter had neither heating nor lighting.

In the early years, the fare for first and second class passengers was 2.5 and 1.8 rubles and 80 and 40 kopecks for third and fourth. It is curious, but, despite the fact that the train was designed not only to cover long distances, but also to keep pace with progress, until 1838, only horse traction was used on non-Sundays and holidays. The steam method has become a kind of symbol of festivities or Sunday rest.

Imperial way

Since 1838, the movement has become regular and then finally decided on the schedule. The first train departed at nine o'clock in the morning, and the last at ten o'clock in the evening. The interval between movements was three or four hours.

Members of the Romanov family and European monarchs also used the railway. Only one train could move along the so-called "Imperial Way". In Pushkin, the train stopped at the "Imperial Pavilion" - the station where they met the royal family.

Traffic along the line Tsarskoe Selo - Pavlovsk was opened in May 1838. By the significant day, a concert hall was built there, where Johann Strauss himself performed.

Steam locomotive "Elephant" and "Bogatyr"

Steam locomotives at that time were made at seven factories: in Belgium, England, Germany and the St. Petersburg Leuchtenberg plant. Each locomotive had its own name: "Nimble", "Arrow", "Bogatyr", "Elephant", "Eagle" and "Lion". However, the romantic attitude towards the locomotive soon changed, and the jubilation at the sight of it was replaced by a habit, and instead of names, the trains acquired a dry number and a series of letters.

People often went to the Pavlovsky Musical Station just for entertainment. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Despite the initial fear of shareholders not to make a profit from the enterprise, in the first five years, not only all the funds spent on construction, but also what was spent on operation were repaid: the road brought substantial income and allowed us to assume that the further construction of new stations would bring a truly fabulous income.

The first steam locomotive was a revelation for Petersburgers: they wrote about it in newspapers, drew posters, candy wrappers were full of its image, and the Alexandrinsky Theater even included the vaudeville “A Trip to Tsarskoye Selo”, the main character of which was a steam locomotive.

• In 1804, Richard Trevithick, a native of England, invented the first locomotive-powered train. There was also a passenger car. But he did not cause anything but smiles on the faces of the audience. They simply did not dare to sit in it.
• The epic of passenger mainline trains began on September 15, 1830, when a train departed from Liverpool to Manchester, accommodating not only emboldened passengers, but also the world's first mail car.
• For three whole days, the first train in Russia ran free of charge, connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The “terrible thing” scared potential passengers so much that they tried to bypass it.
• In 1830, in England, they decided to arrange a stunning competition between five steam locomotives. Unfortunately, one of the participants was not honest and hid live horses under the metal sheathing. You can not worry. He was suspended from participation in the competition. Not a single horse was harmed.
• The first third-class passengers on Russian trains had to travel under benches. The thing is that the cars of the front part of the train traveled without a roof, and the passengers had no choice but to hide “under” their seats in bad weather.
• An unprecedented incident happened once in the state of Ohio on the railroad. The train collided with the ship. This happened due to the fact that the lake closest to the railway overflowed its banks and “drowned” the tracks one meter under water. The train driver turned out to be a brave fellow and decided not to stop. Unfortunately, such courage led to a collision with the steamer.
• Like smooth roads? Feel free to go to Australia. 500 kilometers across the desert plain and not a single turn. Of course, such a road settled on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records.
• But Russia has distinguished itself with the longest railway line in the world. 9.3 thousand kilometers - this is the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
• "Half" - this is the name of the station of the Trans-Siberian Railway. From there, an equal distance, both to distant Vladivostok, and to the same distant Moscow.
• Going on a tour on the famous Patagonia Express train, be prepared for a robbery. This offer is very attractive to tourists. After all, you can not only admire the scenery, but also feel like victims of a carefully planned crime.
• If you are in Japan, be sure to check out Shibuya Station. The monument to a dog that met its owner for 10 years, who left by train, is a local landmark and a touching story.

  

• 100 years ago, kissing was forbidden at railway stations in France, so that there would be no delays in sending trains. By the way, the law still applies today.
• 6.5 kilometers and 440 wagons - this is the length of the longest freight train, made, by the way, in Russia, and following the route Ekibastuz - Ural.
• Oxygen cushion is a necessary attribute of every passenger boarding a train in western Peru. Still would! You will travel at an altitude of more than 3 kilometers - along the highest mountain railway.
• Beginners are always lucky - it is this sign that makes the most reckless residents of Monte Carlo go out to the newly arrived trains and meet the newcomers. You will not only be met, but also offered money for the game (after all, you will definitely be lucky as a beginner), the owner of the money will take the winnings, but you will definitely receive your percentage.
• The most romantic cities in Europe - Paris and Venice are connected by a "train of love". TV, shower, double shelf and VIP service - what else do you need for romance?!

  

• "Russia", "Baikal", "Red Arrow" - the trains also have names and names. The Rostov-Odessa route was the most distinguished. Passengers nicknamed him "Papa-Mama".
• The Japanese always take care of the comfort of their trains. They created a composition on a magnetic cushion. At a speed of 517 km/h you will be delivered to any point of your route.
• A rocket-powered platform in the state of New Mexico allowed the train to reach the maximum speed to date - 9851 km / h!
• Russian railways promise to put into operation double-deck railways in the future passenger cars, where everything will be done for the maximum comfort of people - shower, toilet, air conditioning, and they will cost much less.

As you can see, there are a lot of funny cases and funny and fascinating facts about trains and railways. Travel! Watch! Learn new! Let railway crossings be always interesting and informative for you!

A lot of effort, time and money was spent on the creation of such a large-scale project as railways. Sometimes, the great design geniuses came to crazy decisions and created ridiculous situations. Curious cases have become frequent in this reform activity. And also with the development of high-speed transport, the topic of trains and long-distance trips has become very often mentioned in art - music, movies, theater productions; and even in politics. Here are the most interesting facts and references to railways:

1) Who lives at the bottom of the ocean?

In 1896, between the English cities of Brighton and Rottingdean, an unusual vehicle called Daddy Long Legs began to run - a cross between a tram and a ferry. Laying the railway overland on this route required a lot of engineering structures, and engineer Magnus Volk proposed laying the rails directly on the seabed - the total length of the track was 4.5 km. The platform with passengers towered over the rails on four supports 7 meters long and had a flag, lifeboat and other maritime attributes, as it was formally considered a ship. The service was canceled in 1901 when it was decided to build new breakwaters near Brighton, and the transfer of the track was considered too costly.

2) When and where did an uncontrolled train travel more than 100 km, accelerating to a speed of 76 km/h?

On May 15, 2001, in Ohio, USA, a railroad crew was moving a 47-car train from one track to another. Due to a technical error, an unmanned train called CSX 8888 picked up speed and left for independent travel, during which it accelerated to a speed of 76 km / h. Having traveled more than 100 km, the train was stopped by the driver of the diesel locomotive that caught up with him, who grappled with the last car and applied rheostatic braking.

3) What mechanism got its name from the name of the inventor of the bicycle prototype?

The prototype of the bicycle was designed and patented by the German baron Karl von Dres in 1818. This mechanism had a wooden frame, metal wheels and a steering wheel, but there were no pedals - in order for it to move, it was necessary to push off the ground with your feet. The surname of the inventor in the name of the bicycle was not fixed, but gave the name to the trolley - a device for moving on rails with mechanical traction.

4) How did Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign influence the lyrics of "Time Machine" songs?

During Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, many works of art were censored. For example, Andrey Makarevich changed the text in the song “Conversation on the Train”: after the line “Carriage disputes are the last thing,” instead of “when there is nothing else to drink,” he began to sing “and you can’t cook porridge from them.”

5) What was the main reason for the transition to a time zone system in the 19th century?

Until the 19th century, there was no division into time zones, everywhere the time was determined by the Sun. There was no need for time zones, as there was no high-speed transport. Unification was driven by the development of railways in England, because due to time differences in each city it was very difficult to draw up a normal timetable. It was the railway companies who ensured that there was one GMT time zone throughout the country. And then gradually the system of time zones began to spread around the world.

6) Who was the victim of the murderer, whose brother had previously saved the life of the son of the murdered?

US President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in a theater by John Booth in 1865. Shortly before this, by coincidence, the brother of the latter, Edwin Booth, saved the life of the president's son, Robert Lincoln, on a railway platform.

7) Where did the train crash occur due to the language barrier?

In 2001, there was a railway accident in Belgium in which 8 people, including both drivers, died as a result of a head-on collision of trains. Among other accidents, this one is unique in that its main cause was the language barrier. When the driver of the first train left the station despite the red signal, the dispatcher called the next station to warn about it. However, the controllers did not understand each other, as one spoke French and the other Dutch. Both of these languages ​​are official in Belgium, and according to the rules of the railway company, staff must know at least one of them.

8) What accident did the Americans arrange in 1896 for the entertainment of the public?

In 1896, one of the American railroad companies staged a show - a deliberate collision of two trains at full speed. 40,000 tickets were sold for the "performance", and a temporary campus was built for the spectators who bought tickets. However, the engineers miscalculated the force of the blast and the crowd was not withdrawn to a safe enough distance, resulting in three deaths and several others being injured.

9) What were military armored rubbers?

It is known that in the wars of the 19th century, the First and Second World Wars, many countries used armored trains. However, in addition to this, they tried to fight with the help of individual combat units - armored rubber. They were almost like tanks, but limited in movement only by rails.

10) Series Y?

From 1910 to 1920, freight steam locomotives of the Y series were mass-produced in Russia.

11) Why did the direct railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg have a curvilinear bend in one place?

The Oktyabrskaya railway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg is now a collection of straight lines, although there used to be a slight curvilinear bend between Okulovka and Malaya Vishera. There is a legend that when designing the road, Emperor Nicholas I personally drew a straight line between the two capitals, and the bend arose due to the fact that the pencil went around the finger attached to the ruler.

In fact, there was a height difference in that place, which made it difficult for trains driven by low-powered locomotives to move. In order not to hook an additional locomotive, a detour was created.

12) Who and where managed to survive and not become disabled after his brain was pierced by an iron crowbar?

In 1848, an American railroad worker, Phineas Gage, suffered a work injury when a metal rod pierced the frontal lobes of his brain, entering through his left cheek and exiting near the top of his head. Less than an hour later, Gage came to his senses, and then went to the hospital and on the way calmly and calmly talked about the hole in his head. The wound developed an infection, but the worker recovered and lived another 12 years. His memory, speech, perception were not disturbed, only his character changed - he became more irritable and lost his inclination to work.

13) What myth of the Soviet times about the film "The Arrival of the Train" is still alive?

Contrary to popular belief (which even got into the Soviet textbook on the history of foreign cinema), the film "The Arrival of the Train" was not shown at the famous first paid film show in Paris in the basement of the "Grand Cafe" on the Boulevard des Capucines.

14) What was the name of the city where Anna Karenina threw herself under the train?

In the novel by Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina threw herself under a train at the Obiralovka station near Moscow. In Soviet times, this village became a city and was renamed Zheleznodorozhny.

15) Who invented Morse code?

Morse code in its usual form was not invented by Morse, but by the German engineer Gercke. The original Morse code was inconvenient, although it was used on some American railroads well into the 1960s.

16) Who has more?

An interesting fact is that the gauge of the railway in Russia is 8 centimeters more than in Europe. There is an epic that when Russian engineers came to the tsar and asked how wide the track should be, the same as in Europe or more, he replied: nah ... more. So they made the track exactly so much wider. The width of the European railway gauge was adopted long before the invention of the steam locomotive.

17) Whose standard?

The railway track corresponds exactly to the distance between the wheels of the ancient Roman chariots, with which the Romans made conquests in the territories of modern England and France. The peoples of Europe made their chariots according to Roman models, this standard was also taken into account in the construction of railways.

18) Mail trains under escort

In the early days of the existence of the Nikolaev railway, the mail was especially vigilantly guarded along the entire route. To this end, mail trains were sent under the escort of mounted gendarmes, galloping at full speed along the railway.

19) Rescue benches

Third-class carriages on the first Russian railways were installed in front of the train, were equipped with hard benches, but ... did not have a roof, and therefore passengers often traveled under the benches, where they escaped from the sparks that flew out of the locomotive chimney in sheaves, and cold.

20) Paradoxical love

The most paradoxical is the fact that with a small length of Russian railways (only 7 percent of the world's total railway figure), the Russian Federation accounts for about 35 percent of the world's rail freight traffic. These figures are explained by the unusual popularity of railways among Russian businessmen, and both owners of large enterprises and individual entrepreneurs who need to transport small consignments give preference to this type of transport.
The reason for such a love of the Russian people, and indeed of the entire former USSR, for railways is easy to explain, if we recall, at least, the fact that this type of transport is considered the safest. Let the speed of delivery leave much to be desired, but you can always be sure that the cargo will arrive at its destination safe and sound. After all, according to statistics, accidents on the railway happen ten times less often than on highways, and in every news release, reports of another plane crash have become a common occurrence. A high level of safety is especially important when transporting valuable and fragile products, and such products make up a significant part of the total cargo flow today. As long as planes are falling, and roads, as you know, continue to be one of the main problems of the CIS, trains will occupy a leading position in the freight transportation market. It is no secret that in the remote corners of our countries, many roads in the spring-autumn period simply become impassable, so delivery by train remains generally the only possible option.
An important factor in favor of choosing rail freight is their relatively low cost. You simply cannot find a more profitable transport for transporting timber and building materials. There are also no restrictions on the types of cargo - bulk, bulk, volatile and food - it is possible to transport flour and cement, coal and alcohol. All that needs to be done by the owner of the cargo is to choose a suitable container (wagon, gondola car, platform, tank, refrigerator).
But with all the economic attractiveness and reliability, rail freight has a number of disadvantages.
Firstly, in small towns there are simply no railway stations, so you still have to use road transport to deliver cargo to your destination. Secondly, there are a number of difficulties associated with different requirements for transportation technology in different countries. Therefore, international cargo transportation requires knowledge of many nuances and the ability to establish friendly foreign economic relations.
Today, transport companies, in order to ensure maximum comfort for the customer and the recipient of the cargo, develop a logistics scheme for each individual cargo, coordinate the features and conditions of transportation based on the characteristics of the product, and provide clear information about the train route and the time of its arrival at the station.

21) The first mechanical (not hand or horse-drawn) elevator driven by a steam engine, called the "vertical railway", was installed in the United States in 1850. By the 1880s, large hotels and wealthy buildings in the US and Europe were equipped with this type of elevator.

22) The "Underground Railroad" in the United States in the 1850s was the name of a secret organization of abolitionists (a social movement seeking the abolition of slavery) that transported fugitive blacks from the South to the North.

In the modern world, there are many options for overcoming long distances. You can travel by bus, car, plane or train, and all these means of transportation do not seem to be something surprising.

However, a few centuries ago, none of the above existed, and people were just starting to create the things we are used to.

Even before the advent of the steam engine, there was a prototype of the railway in the world. The origin of railway transport, as we now imagine it, began in the 18th-19th centuries.

For several centuries, humanity has gone from a steam locomotive to high-speed peregrine falcons. Many scientists and inventors who managed to make a real breakthrough had a hand in the development of railway transport.

pre-steam era

In fact, rails existed long before the advent of the steam engine. It is believed that the first railroad was the Diolk portage, where slaves pushed carts through depressions in limestone as early as the 6th century BC.

Then railroads appeared in Europe, they worked due to the traction of people or animals. The rails were wooden and were widely used in mines for transporting mined rock to ships.

The history of the modern road began at the beginning of the 18th century, during the industrial revolution. Machine production gradually supplanted manual production, and a breakthrough was also outlined in the field of railroads.

The inventors were preoccupied with creating an engine that would not be driven by human resources. The first "swallow" was the steam engine of Thomas Savery, which he patented in 1698. After a few decades, it was improved and became a real breakthrough.

The oldest railroad in the world was founded at the end of the 15th century near the city of Salzburg. Previously, the Reiszug lift was powered by the traction of people or animals, but now it operates on an electric motor.

steam engines

The next milestone in the development of the railroad was the steam engine, which radically changed the concept of this type of transport. The idea arose to replace the resource for traction from a person (animal) to a mobile steam locomotive that could move cars along rails.

The implementation of this idea accelerated after the creation of the first steam engine in history. In 1769, Scottish inventor James Watt patented a heavy steam engine, which he improved by 1782. The updated version was suitable for use in steam locomotives, as it was more compact and powerful.

The first person to introduce a steam-powered wagon to the world was the Frenchman Nicolas Cugno. His invention can safely be called the predecessor of steam locomotives, although the test ended in failure.

Success came to Richard Tretiwick, who in 1797 managed to introduce a steam wagon. He began to develop a wagon that could move on rails, since the dirt roads were in a sad state. And, starting in 1801, he created several successful models of steam locomotives, which were first used on the amusement railway.

Indirectly, the emperor Napoleon himself had a hand in a sharp jump in the development of railway communication. His wars with most European countries led to a rise in the price of many products, including cereals, which were fed to horses. Since all large enterprises used horse traction, they had to urgently take measures in order to replace horses with steam locomotives without loss.

The Middleton Railway began to be used as an experimental site, which began to use steam traction. She began work in 1758 and at first carried out transportation at the expense of horses, who pulled carts along the rails. It was for Middleton that the first commercially successful Salamanca steam locomotive was designed in 1812.

It is worth noting that experiments on the operation of steam traction were not always successful. The boiler exploded there twice, and in 1866 the road again switched to the use of horses. By the way, it was here that the very first professional machinist, James Hewitt, was trained, who died during the second explosion.

Thus, experiments to create a successful steam locomotive continued for several decades, and only in 1825 did the opening of the railway available to the public take place. It was officially opened on September 27, and carried 600 passengers on the opening day. The train was pulled by the Locomotion No. 1 steam locomotive, built by inventor George Stephenson.

The road stretched for 40 kilometers and at that time was the first one intended for public use. Since that time, the railway boom has spread to other countries and has become a real breakthrough in the industrial revolution.

Golden age

It is not surprising that with the creation of the first successful steam locomotives, the railway network began to develop by leaps and bounds. In 1830, the world's first railroad was opened in England, connecting two cities, Manchester and Liverpool. It was, as expected, with stations and stretched for 56 kilometers.

After 20 years in England there were already 11,000 km of railways that entangled the whole country. In other European countries, this transport was also very popular.

The first prerequisites for the emergence of railroad tracks on the American continent appeared in the second decade of the 19th century, when Colonel John Stevens acquired the right to build a company.

By 1826, Stevens had introduced his first steam-powered locomotive, which was successfully tested. And already in 1830, the United States caught up with Europe and opened the first public road.

By 1840, the total length of railroads in the country stretched for 4.4 thousand kilometers, and by 1860 - for 48 thousand kilometers! Although the inhabitants of the country did not immediately like the innovation, many considered the locomotives to be "sons of the devil" and preferred to travel the old fashioned way.

From the 1860s, the golden age of railroad transport began in the United States. This area fell into the hands of magnates, the government provided generous subsidies for every mile of rail, so it is not surprising that in half a century the number of kilometers grew to 408 thousand.

The railway contributed to the unification of the country into a single domestic market and helped develop metallurgy and engineering.

Russian railway

For Russia, the history of this convenient mode of transport began much later, in the 1830s. The prerequisites already existed, for example, in the mines of Altai, there were narrow-gauge tracks with rails for transporting rock.

In 1788, in the city of Petrozavodsk, the first railway line in the Russian Empire called "Pig-iron wheel line" appeared.

However, the railway accessible to all appeared much later, in 1836 Nicholas I ordered the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo road. A year later, a grand opening took place, and the emperor himself swept from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo.

A serious impetus for the development of this type of transport was the defeat in the Crimean War. In the 1850s, one of the reasons for the failure was that this part of the Russian Empire did not yet have a railway connection. By decree of the government, a railway network throughout the country began to be actively built.

The longest road in the world, the Trans-Siberian Railway, was founded in 1891. At the moment, her record could not be broken, because the length is 9.2 thousand kilometers.

During the period of the USSR, railway transport continued to develop actively, Boris Beshchev made an invaluable contribution. He served as Minister of Railways from 1948 for 29 years. By 1965, he managed to reduce the use of steam traction to 24%, the rest of the communication was carried out by electricity and diesel locomotives.

At the moment, most of the railway track belongs to Russian Railways. In total, there are 124,000 km of tracks, and 86,000 of them are for public use.

Rail transport now

Of course, now trains run not due to steam locomotives, but due to electric traction. For the first time this invention was presented in 1879, when Vernet Siemens at the exhibition presented the only railway at that time 300 meters long, powered by electricity. In the same year, this technology was used in a factory in France.

Then, in 1880, the Russian engineer F. Pirotsky in Russia launched a car with 40 passengers using electric current. And already in 1881, the first railway line in history, powered by electricity, was opened in Berlin.

A significant impetus to the mass electrification of railways was the end of the First World War. Gradually electrify your railways became the countries of Europe, the USA and Russia.

Having mastered trains running on electric traction, the world has taken up the development of high-speed trains. The first successes were recorded back in 1903, when the train overcame the speed limit of 200 km/h.

European countries began to prepare projects for the creation of high-speed traffic, but Japan became the first country with such a network. In 1959, construction began on a road between Tokyo and Osaka, with traffic reaching 210 km/h. At the moment, the development of high-speed rail communication does not stop.

Railway records

As we have already mentioned, the longest railway in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway. It can be overcome, on average, in a week of travel.

As far as speed records are concerned, now technology can no longer be compared with what it was a hundred years ago. The latest speed record among trains belongs to the Japanese MLX01, which accelerated to a speed of 603 km/h.

The deepest part of the railway is the Seikan Tunnel, which runs at a depth of 240 meters below sea level. But the highest station is Tangla in Chinese Tibet at an altitude of 5068 km above sea level.

Railway communication gave a huge impetus to the development of industry and allowed humanity to reach a new level of development. To this day, railways are one of the safest and most convenient modes of transport.