Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway
Encyclopedia
The Moscow to Saint Petersburg Railway is a 649.7 kilometres (403.7 mi) railway running between the two largest Russian cities of Moscow
and Saint Petersburg
, and through four oblast
s: Moscow
, Tver
, Novgorod
and Leningrad
. It is the leading traffic artery for the whole of the north-west region of Russia, operated by the Oktyabrskaya Railway
subdivision of Russian Railways
.
The current maximum speed on the Moscow-St. Petersburg line is 250 km/h (155 mph); the fastest train takes 3 hours and 30 minutes. The Siemens-built Velaro RUS train, aka Sapsan
, operates on this line since 2009, but running below their speed capacity (300 km/h (186 mph)) because of difficulties upgrading all the tracks. For this Sapsan
project, Russian Railways spent nearly $1 billion for its eight Siemens Velaro
trains.
Since 1931, a famous train, called the Krasnaya Strela ("Red Arrow"), has operated on this line, leaving Moscow (Leningradsky Rail Terminal) at 23:55 daily and arriving in Saint Petersburg (Moskovsky Rail Terminal) at 07:55 the next morning and vice-versa.
The railway is relatively congested, which means that only a few high speed trains can be run each direction and day. Therefore there are plans of building a new parallel high-speed railway allowing up to 400 km/h, at an estimated cost of 696 bn roubles and an estimated completion in 2018.
, Redkino, Tver
, Likhoslavl
, Kalashnikovo
, Vyshny Volochyok
, Bologoye
, Okulovka
, Luka
, Malaya Vishera
, Chudovo
, Lyuban
and Tosno
.
The railway is the second oldest in the country, behind a short line connecting Saint Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo. This railway was a pet project of Pavel Melnikov
(1804–1880), an engineer and administrator who superintended its construction and whose statue may be seen near the southern terminus
of the line, the Leningradsky Rail Terminal in Moscow.
The idea of a railway connecting the two capitals gave rise to a prolonged controversy with some reactionary officials predicting social upheaval if the masses were allowed to travel. It was decided that only the affluent would be allowed to use the line; every passenger was to be subjected to strict passport
and police control.
Nicholas I of Russia
, after whom the railway and the termini were named until 1923, issued an ukase
ordering its construction on February 1, 1842. It was built by serfs at a cost of heavy loss of life, a fact bemoaned by Nikolay Nekrasov in his well-known poem The Railway.
The line was finally opened after almost 10 years of construction and a great deal of financial machinations, on November 1, 1851. The first passenger train left St Petersburg at 11:15 and arrived in Moscow at 9pm the next day – 21 hours and 45 minutes later.
stating that when planning the project, Tsar Nicholas (who reputedly, exasperated by the bickering of officials arguing over the route, selected the route by taking a ruler and drawing a straight line between the two cities on a map) accidentally drew around his own finger on the ruler. The planners were supposedly too afraid to point out the error and constructed the line with the bend. In reality, the line was originally built without the curve. Known as the Verebinsky bypass, it was constructed in 1877 to circumvent a steep gradient that caused severe problems for steam locomotive
s. Trains heading to St Petersburg would pick up so much speed that they could not stop at the next station, while those heading for Moscow could not get up the hill without the assistance of four locomotives. It has been suggested that the late 19th century writer Nikolai Grech originated the story about the Tsar's finger being responsible for the curve.
In 2001, after 150 years of continuous use, the bend was finally straightened out, reducing the entire length by 5 kilometres (3.1 mi). At that period, a high-speed rail
line (the first in Russia) was planned to be constructed along the same route, but the project was eventually shelved amid ecological protests and concerns about the fragile environment of the Valdai Hills
.
In 1842 Tsar Nicholas I summoned George Washington Whistler
to work as a consulting engineer on the Moscow-St. Petersburg
Railway. Whistler designed a unique bridge for the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1834 known as the Canton Viaduct
and is said to have designed two similar bridges on the Moscow – St. Petersburg Railway but this has never been confirmed. There is a bridge model of similar design to the Canton Viaduct on display at the Oktyabrsky Railroad Museum in St. Petersburg.
after a bomb explosion. There were 30 injuries and no deaths, and railway traffic was blocked in both directions for a few days. Two men from the Ingushetia
region of North Caucasus
, Salambek Dzakhkiyev and Maksharip Khidriyev, have been charged in relation to this incident. They have been acquitted in January 2010 on the terrorism charge, but sentenced to prison terms on related charges. The court decided they delivered the explosives to the person who actually planted them and who was the leader of the terrorist cell, Pavel Kosolapov
(who was still at large at time of the trial), but were not aware how it was going to get used. Dzakhkiyev and his defense lawyer, Magomed Razakov, were convicted of trying to bribe the investigator as well. Dzakhkiyev overall was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, Khidriyev received 4 years, Razakov - 2 years 2 months. The acquittal was held up by the Supreme Court in March 2010.
. At least 27 people were killed and 96 injured. In a secondary explosion on November 28, directed at investigators, Alexander Bastrykin
, head of the Investigative Committee, was injured and hospitalised.
The incident was reported to have similarities with the 2007 explosion on the same railway line.
There are many more sleeper trains not mentioned in the table. The international trains to the nearby countries, such as Finland and Estonia
, pass through this line.
The line is congested with freight trains, and the passenger trains have to have a similar slow speed. The exception is a few fast trains, from 2010 the Sapsan, which are given a free railway line. But for capacity reasons, that is done only for a few trains per day.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, and through four oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
s: Moscow
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
, Tver
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
, Novgorod
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located there...
and Leningrad
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
. It is the leading traffic artery for the whole of the north-west region of Russia, operated by the Oktyabrskaya Railway
Oktyabrskaya Railway
The broad gauge Oktyabrskaya Railway or October Railway , which forms part of RZD, is the oldest railway in Russia, located in the north-west of the country. It stretches from Moscow's Leningrad Terminal in the south to Murmansk beyond the Arctic Circle in the north. The total length of the lines...
subdivision of Russian Railways
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
.
Overview
Sapsan
Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family....
, operates on this line since 2009, but running below their speed capacity (300 km/h (186 mph)) because of difficulties upgrading all the tracks. For this Sapsan
Sapsan
Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family....
project, Russian Railways spent nearly $1 billion for its eight Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed EMU trains used in Europe and China. The Velaro is based on Deutsche Bahn's ICE 3 high-speed trains, but is a full Siemens product unlike the ICE 3 which involved other manufacturers....
trains.
Since 1931, a famous train, called the Krasnaya Strela ("Red Arrow"), has operated on this line, leaving Moscow (Leningradsky Rail Terminal) at 23:55 daily and arriving in Saint Petersburg (Moskovsky Rail Terminal) at 07:55 the next morning and vice-versa.
The railway is relatively congested, which means that only a few high speed trains can be run each direction and day. Therefore there are plans of building a new parallel high-speed railway allowing up to 400 km/h, at an estimated cost of 696 bn roubles and an estimated completion in 2018.
Major stations
Major stations situated on the railway include (south to north) KlinKlin
Klin is a town and the administrative center of Klinsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Moscow. The M10 highway connecting Moscow to St. Petersburg and the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway run through the town. It was home to Klin air base during the Cold War. ...
, Redkino, Tver
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
, Likhoslavl
Likhoslavl
Likhoslavl is a town and the administrative center of Likhoslavlsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located northwest of Tver, on the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway. Population:...
, Kalashnikovo
Kalashnikovo
Kalashnikovo is a urban locality in Likhoslavlsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: It is served by a station on the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway....
, Vyshny Volochyok
Vyshny Volochyok
Vyshny Volochyok , also known as Vyshny Volochok , is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: The town is located northwest of Tver, in the Valdai Hills, between the Tveritsa and Tsna Rivers, on the watershed between the basins of the Volga and the Baltic Sea. Hence the town's name is...
, Bologoye
Bologoye
Bologoye is a town and the administrative center of Bologovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, as well as a major railway hub. It is located approximately half-way between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the railway route connecting the two cities. Population: The first mention of Bologoye in...
, Okulovka
Okulovka
Okulovka is a town and the administrative center of Okulovsky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, situated in the Valdai Hills, on the Peretna River, east of Veliky Novgorod. Population:...
, Luka
Luka
-People:* Luka , a popular South Slavic given name cognate of Luke** including a list of people with the given name Luka-Places:Luka is a common South Slavic toponym, meaning "port".* Luka , a station on the Prague Metro...
, Malaya Vishera
Malaya Vishera
Malaya Vishera is a town and the administrative center of Malovishersky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Population: The town's name originates from the river of the same name which flows into the Vishera River. It was founded in 1843, as the construction of the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway...
, Chudovo
Chudovo
Chudovo is a town and the administrative center of Chudovsky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Kerest River . It lies on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg, north of Veliky Novgorod and south of St. Petersburg...
, Lyuban
Lyuban
Lyuban is a town in Tosnensky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Tigoda River southeast of St. Petersburg. Population: -History:...
and Tosno
Tosno
Tosno is a town and the administrative center of Tosnensky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Tosna River, southeast of St. Petersburg. Population:...
.
History
Pavel Petrovich Melnikov
Pavel Petrovich Melnikov was a Russian engineer and administrator who, in his capacity of Transport Minister, was in a large measure responsible for the introduction of railroad construction in Imperial Russia.In 1825 Melnikov graduated at the head of his class from the Institute of Transport...
(1804–1880), an engineer and administrator who superintended its construction and whose statue may be seen near the southern terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
of the line, the Leningradsky Rail Terminal in Moscow.
The idea of a railway connecting the two capitals gave rise to a prolonged controversy with some reactionary officials predicting social upheaval if the masses were allowed to travel. It was decided that only the affluent would be allowed to use the line; every passenger was to be subjected to strict passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
and police control.
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, after whom the railway and the termini were named until 1923, issued an ukase
Ukase
A ukase , in Imperial Russia, was a proclamation of the tsar, government, or a religious leader that had the force of law...
ordering its construction on February 1, 1842. It was built by serfs at a cost of heavy loss of life, a fact bemoaned by Nikolay Nekrasov in his well-known poem The Railway.
The line was finally opened after almost 10 years of construction and a great deal of financial machinations, on November 1, 1851. The first passenger train left St Petersburg at 11:15 and arrived in Moscow at 9pm the next day – 21 hours and 45 minutes later.
The Tsar's Finger
For many years the line was completely straight apart from a 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) bend near the city of Novgorod. This became the subject of an urban legendUrban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
stating that when planning the project, Tsar Nicholas (who reputedly, exasperated by the bickering of officials arguing over the route, selected the route by taking a ruler and drawing a straight line between the two cities on a map) accidentally drew around his own finger on the ruler. The planners were supposedly too afraid to point out the error and constructed the line with the bend. In reality, the line was originally built without the curve. Known as the Verebinsky bypass, it was constructed in 1877 to circumvent a steep gradient that caused severe problems for steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. Trains heading to St Petersburg would pick up so much speed that they could not stop at the next station, while those heading for Moscow could not get up the hill without the assistance of four locomotives. It has been suggested that the late 19th century writer Nikolai Grech originated the story about the Tsar's finger being responsible for the curve.
In 2001, after 150 years of continuous use, the bend was finally straightened out, reducing the entire length by 5 kilometres (3.1 mi). At that period, a high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
line (the first in Russia) was planned to be constructed along the same route, but the project was eventually shelved amid ecological protests and concerns about the fragile environment of the Valdai Hills
Valdai Hills
The Valdai Hills are an upland region in north-west of central Russia running north-south, about midway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow, spanning the Novgorod, Tver, Pskov, and Smolensk Oblasts....
.
Whistler
George Washington Whistler
George Washington Whistler was a prominent American railroad engineer in the first half of the 19th century....
to work as a consulting engineer on the Moscow-St. Petersburg
Railway. Whistler designed a unique bridge for the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1834 known as the Canton Viaduct
Canton Viaduct
Canton Viaduct is the oldest blind arcade cavity wall bridge in the world and it was the longest and tallest railroad bridge ever built when it was completed in 1835. It is the last surviving bridge of its kind and has been in continuous service for years; it now carries high-speed passenger and...
and is said to have designed two similar bridges on the Moscow – St. Petersburg Railway but this has never been confirmed. There is a bridge model of similar design to the Canton Viaduct on display at the Oktyabrsky Railroad Museum in St. Petersburg.
2007 explosion
On August 13, 2007 an intercity passenger train heading to St. Petersburg from Moscow derailed shortly before reaching Malaya VisheraMalaya Vishera
Malaya Vishera is a town and the administrative center of Malovishersky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Population: The town's name originates from the river of the same name which flows into the Vishera River. It was founded in 1843, as the construction of the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway...
after a bomb explosion. There were 30 injuries and no deaths, and railway traffic was blocked in both directions for a few days. Two men from the Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
region of North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
, Salambek Dzakhkiyev and Maksharip Khidriyev, have been charged in relation to this incident. They have been acquitted in January 2010 on the terrorism charge, but sentenced to prison terms on related charges. The court decided they delivered the explosives to the person who actually planted them and who was the leader of the terrorist cell, Pavel Kosolapov
Pavel Kosolapov
Pavel Pavlovich Kosolapov is an alleged ethnic Russian islamic terrorist sometimes referenced as "Russian Bin Laden". According to Russian security agency he was the main organizer of the February 2004 Moscow Metro bombing, 2007 Nevsky Express bombing and many smaller terrorist acts in Samara,...
(who was still at large at time of the trial), but were not aware how it was going to get used. Dzakhkiyev and his defense lawyer, Magomed Razakov, were convicted of trying to bribe the investigator as well. Dzakhkiyev overall was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, Khidriyev received 4 years, Razakov - 2 years 2 months. The acquittal was held up by the Supreme Court in March 2010.
2009 explosion
On November 27, 2009 four cars from train No. 166 derailed while travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The derailment was a terrorist act caused by the detonation of 7 kilograms (15.4 lb) TNT equivalentTNT equivalent
TNT equivalent is a method of quantifying the energy released in explosions. The ton of TNT is a unit of energy equal to 4.184 gigajoules, which is approximately the amount of energy released in the detonation of one ton of TNT...
. At least 27 people were killed and 96 injured. In a secondary explosion on November 28, directed at investigators, Alexander Bastrykin
Alexander Bastrykin
Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin is a Russian official, Former First Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia,and former Chairman of The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office...
, head of the Investigative Committee, was injured and hospitalised.
The incident was reported to have similarities with the 2007 explosion on the same railway line.
Timetable
There are 32 direct express train services daily from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, from which the following are a selection.| Train No. | From – Via – To | Moscow | S. P. | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 06:45 | 10:30 | 3h 45m | "Sapsan Sapsan Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family.... ", the fastest among the direct express trains. |
|
| Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 07:00 | 10:55 | 3h 55m | "Sapsan Sapsan Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family.... " |
|
| Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 16:30 | 20:25 | 3h 55m | "Sapsan Sapsan Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family.... " |
|
| Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 19:45 | 23:30 | 3h 45m | "Sapsan Sapsan Sapsan is a gauge high speed train in Russia. The design is part of the Siemens Velaro family.... " |
|
| 032V | Moscow – Sankt Peterburg – Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
22:50 | 06:02 | 7h 12m | The international trains also runs through this line |
| 054Ch | Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 23:40 | 08:35 | 8h 55m | The slowest among the direct express trains. |
| 002A | Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 23:55 | 07:55 | 8h 00m | "The Red Arrow Red Arrow (Russian train) The Red Arrow is a Russian sleeper train connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg via the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway.-General:The Red Arrow runs from Leningrad Station in Moscow to Moscow Station in Saint Petersburg. It started its first regular service in 1931, and has only been interrupted... " sleeper train. |
| 004A | Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 23:59 | 08:00 | 8h 01m | "The Express" sleeper train. |
| 038A | Moscow – Sankt Peterburg | 00:30 | 08:48 | 8h 18m | "The Megapolis" sleeper train. |
There are many more sleeper trains not mentioned in the table. The international trains to the nearby countries, such as Finland and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, pass through this line.
The line is congested with freight trains, and the passenger trains have to have a similar slow speed. The exception is a few fast trains, from 2010 the Sapsan, which are given a free railway line. But for capacity reasons, that is done only for a few trains per day.
External links
- "Views of the Nikolaev Railway", circa 1858, courtesy of SMUSMUSMU may stand for:*Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas, USA**SMU Mustangs, the athletic program of the above school*St. Martin's University in Lacey, Washington, USA*Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
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