 Railway transport in Russia - one of the largest railway networks in the world, in existence since 1837 and with 86 thousand km of railways, of which about half - electrified. By the total length of railways Russia takes 2nd place, behind only the United States (194.7 sq km). By the length of electrified roads (43 sq km) Russia is one place in the world.

The History of the Russian railway  The Russian government is worried about the problems laying the railway in the early XIX century. The basis for this trend was the Department of Water Communications, established in 1798 by Emperor Paul I approved the project. Organization headed by NP Rumyantsev. Department of the Rumyantsev acted successfully grew rapidly and in 1809 expanded his powers and was renamed the Office of Water and Land Communications. On the basis of constructed Rumyantsev, in the same 1809 Military Institute was established body of Railways.

The first railway  The history of railways in Russia begins with In 1834, at the invitation of mining department arrived in Russia Austrian engineer Franz von Gerstner, who made the Emperor Nicholas I proposed construction of the railway line. In 1836, the emperor issued a decree on the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo railway. A few months has been built from the start site Kuzmino to Pavlovsk, where the end of the year the movement was launched, and the official opening took place on the road at the end of 1837.

Transsiberian  Trans-Siberian Railway, the Great Siberian Way (historical name) railway across Eurasia, connecting Moscow and East Siberian and Far Eastern largest industrial city in Russia. Trunk length km - is the longest railway in the world. The highest point of the way - Yablonovy Pass (1019 m above sea level)

USSR railways  After the revolution of 1917, the management of the railways has been assigned to the People's Commissariat (People's Commissariat of Communications), and later in 1946 it was transformed into the USSR Ministry of Railways (Ministry of Transport of the USSR). After World War II the economy has been destroyed, including the huge loss was the railroad. During the war, many of the railroad became Heroes of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor.  The main Soviet-era Komsomol construction project was the construction of the BAM (Baikal-Amur Mainline). Millions of young men and women to call the party went on into the forest Komsomol, the construction.

"Russian Railways"  In 2004, the Ministry of Railways was renamed to OAO "Russian Railways", was appointed director Vladimir Yakunin. Since the beginning of XXI century Railways is gradually emerging from the crisis, building new highways, high-speed communication open, high- speed trains "Peregrine Falcon" cruising on the Moscow-St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod. Well as new high-speed train "ALLEGRO" from Siemens run from St. Petersburg to Helsinki. Since September 2010, in its first road off the train Moscow-Nice train conductors and staff have experience in many languages.  Reorganization of Railways is confident, so until 2013 in corporate form (gray-red) will repaint the entire car fleet and replace aging cars, the cars premium, as well as introduce new uniforms for employees Railways.  The main priority of Russian Railways is the Sochi-2014, RZD President Vladimir Yakunin, head of the board contest. Railways to build new roads through the mountain slopes the Black Sea, the construction of the new station in Adler, and more.