Trans-Siberian Railway

The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (?????????????? ??????????, ???????? in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral', Transsib) is a network of railways connecting European Russia with Russian Far East provinces, Mongolia and China.

Related Topics:
Russian - Railway - Russia - Russian Far East - Mongolia - China

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The main route, the Trans-Siberian, runs from Moscow to Vladivostok via southern Siberia and was built between 1891 and 1916. It is often associated with the main Russian train that connects these two cities. At 9,288 kilometres (5,772 miles) and spanning 8 time zones, it is the longest single continuous service in the world, and it takes about 7 days to complete its journey.

Related Topics:
Moscow - Vladivostok - Siberia - 1891 - 1916 - Train - 9,288 kilometres - Time zone

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A second primary route is the Trans-Manchurian, which coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, about 1000 km east of Lake Baikal. From Tarskaya the Trans-Manchurian heads southeast into China and makes its way down to Beijing.

Related Topics:
Tarskaya - Lake Baikal - China - Beijing

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The third primary route is the Trans-Mongolian, which coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as Ulan Ude on Lake Baikal's eastern shore. From Ulan-Ude the Trans-Mongolian heads south to Ulaan-Baatar before making its way southeast to Beijing.

Related Topics:
Ulan Ude - Ulaan-Baatar - Beijing

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In 1991, a fourth route running further to the north was finally completed, after more than five decades of sporadic work. Known as the Baikal Amur Mainline, this recent extension departs from the Trans-Siberian line several hundred miles west of Lake Baikal and passes the lake at its northernmost extremity. It reaches the Pacific to the northeast of Khabarovsk, at Sovetskaya Gavan (i.e., Soviet Haven, a.k.a. Sovgavan, Sovietgavan, and earlier Imperatorskaya Gavan, i.e., Imperial Haven). While this route provides access to Baikal's stunning northern coast, it also passes through some rather forbidding terrain.

Related Topics:
1991 - Baikal Amur Mainline - Lake Baikal - Pacific - Khabarovsk - Sovetskaya Gavan

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