The Enormous Hidden Transportation Network: Where Did Thousands of Kilometers of Soviet Railways Go?
Author:
Natalia Stolychnaya
June 22, 2025, 18:00
In the mid-20th century, the Soviet Union built an extensive railway system, yet most people were unaware of its existence. Subsequently, thousands of kilometers of tracks, stations, and garages seemingly vanished. This was not related to secret facilities or restricted areas; their "invisibility" had other reasons.
50,000 Kilometers at Its Peak
Today, much of the narrow-gauge railways (with a gauge of 600 to 1200 millimeters, unable to accommodate standard trains) remain only as forgotten embankments, rusted rails, and leaning structures — an entire era of railways has faded away. Why did such a vast railway network vanish without a trace?
Narrow-gauge railways (with a gauge between 600 and 1200 millimeters, unable to accommodate standard trains) emerged in the 19th century and gradually became a convenient and inexpensive freight transportation method. They were often referred to as "narrow-gauge railways," typically constructed in areas where conventional railways were too costly. Narrow-gauge railways could reach remote areas with complex terrain, requiring fewer supporting infrastructures and were easier to lay in forests, swamps, and even mountainous regions.
The narrow-gauge railway in Lviv — the first true narrow-gauge railway in Oryol Province in 1871.
It is believed that the first narrow-gauge railway appeared in Oryol Province in 1871. Similar projects were subsequently sporadically constructed, with distribution in Novgorod Province, Vologda Oblast, and the Urals. At the time, newspapers frequently reported tragic events related to these railways: In 1910, the first two narrow-gauge steam locomotives appeared in Voznesensky Mine, and according to journals, a worker was crushed near Bazhenovo Station while transporting personnel, resulting in broken ribs and collarbones, and died two days later. However, this did not deter entrepreneurs of the time — they actively purchased locomotives, considering this a promising investment.
During the Soviet period, the development of narrow-gauge railways received crucial impetus — authorities realized that lightweight and inexpensive narrow-gauge railways could easily traverse inaccessible areas like forests and swamps, reaching mines and pits. This method could connect the country, reaching places where regular trains could not go.
Narrow-gauge railways could be laid in the most inaccessible areas.
The peak construction period occurred in the mid-20th century. By the 1960s, the Soviet narrow-gauge railway network expanded more than tenfold, reaching an astonishing 50,000 kilometers. But every project has its lifespan — the Soviet Union began to reduce production of narrow-gauge steam locomotives. The highway construction boom marginalized narrow-gauge railways: more convenient trucks gradually replaced rail transport, especially for timber and peat transportation, with "simpler" and "cheaper" becoming key words. While the rails rusted, roads sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
Illegal Removal of 60 Kilometers of Tracks?
In the early 1990s, peat was almost abandoned, mining came to a halt, and some narrow-gauge railways (mostly serving peat mining) also disappeared. Eyewitnesses reported that in the mid-1980s, people began dismantling sleepers and transporting them home for use, leaving the middle of the roads quickly dismantled. One sensational event occurred in 2010 — the 60-kilometer line from Podima to Barashevo in Mordovia was illegally dismantled. This line once connected labor camps.
At the time, the Emergency Situations Ministry could not send specialized trains to extinguish forest fires in 20 camps housing about 15,000 prisoners in the forest — the railway no longer existed, making it impossible to fight fires or evacuate personnel. Although the fires were eventually extinguished, relevant departments filed complaints with the prosecutor's office, but the matter went unresolved.
Nowadays, the remnants of old narrow-gauge railways...
Looking back in history, after Stalin's death, labor camps were gradually shut down, and the Soviet Union's northeastern development slowed down, which was precisely where narrow-gauge railways played a crucial role. In the 1990s, people stopped maintaining narrow-gauge railways, and they gradually declined — not collapsing overnight, but following the common trajectory of "company closure, people moving out, roads overgrown with grass." In some places, the rails were "strangely" cut off by rivers, as if there had been railway bridges, but in most cases, no bridges ever existed — carriages crossed rivers using suspension bridges.
Fully Laid Bunks
By the end of the railway era, tracks were removed on a large scale and recycled as scrap metal. For example, in the 1990s, there were still 40 narrow-gauge railways in Sverdlovsk Oblast, but now only six remain. However, not everyone agrees with this approach: when scrap metal scavengers dismantled the last lines, "railway romanticism enthusiasts" attempted to draw public attention to these rare railways.
Imitating Western countries (where narrow-gauge railways were closed earlier than ours), Russia has begun taking action in recent years, so some lines have survived. For instance, the Alapayevsk narrow-gauge railway (147 kilometers) is the longest in Russia, originally used for forestry transport. Due to the long journey, passenger cars here come in two types: ordinary PV40 hard-seat cars, and unique VP750 sleeper cars designed for "full-length side bunks" due to size restrictions. Tourist cars with comfortable sofas can also be added upon request.
Alapaevsk Railway, Karyash Station.
One of Russia's most unique railway facilities is the Apsheron narrow-gauge railway (37 kilometers), originally used for timber transport but now a tourist attraction; Lipakovo narrow-gauge railway (33 kilometers) remains intact, allowing visitors to explore untouched forests and swamps. Built in the late 1940s for timber transport, this railway now departs from Lipakovo, with TU6 locomotives towing PV40 carriages, running three times a week to transport passengers (hunters, mushroom pickers, and tourists) and deliver supplies to the logging settlements of Luzhmu and Sezu twice daily, taking one hour and forty minutes each way.
The highlights of these unique journeys include still-operating old signal lights, wooden stations that have luckily survived, and villages isolated from the outside world. Visitors are amazed but also feel a tinge of sadness.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7519013673659138596/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views. Please express your opinions by clicking the "Upvote" or "Downvote" buttons below.