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The Trans-Siberian ExpressBy David Emer Some people couldn’t even imagine going on a 7 to 9-day, 5,972-mile train trip from Moscow to Vladivostok but for others, including myself, this would be a trip of a lifetime. The train passes mountains, huge rivers and some of the coldest places on Earth as it journeys through Siberia. The train makes 91 stops and is the longest train ride in the world. In 1891, construction began on the route that would eventually become an engineering masterpiece. Two and a half miles of track were laid a day. By 1903, in one of the few successful events of Czar Nicholas the II’s disastrous reign the route had been almost entirely completed and service began. At the time, passengers had to disembark the train and take a ferry over Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world. In the winter, the ice was so thick that it couldn’t be crushed and tracks were actually built over the ice. By 1905, track was built around the southern edge of Lake Baikal creating a permanent connection between Europe and Siberia, completely by rail. The only later change was that part of the initial route was built on Chinese soil but after too many supplies were shipped over it during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 the Russians built a longer section over rougher terrain that allowed the entire route to be in Russia. This way Russia would not have to share the right of way with China. By 1913, most of the line had been double-tracked and by the 1950s’ the entire route was double-tracked. The train line would become a key to helping the eastern economy grow and proved to be, as it still is, a vital lifeline for the people of Siberia. To read the rest of the article you have to buy the magazine.
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