Transport in Russia
Encyclopedia
The transport network of the Russian Federation is one of the world's most extensive. The national web of roads, railways and airway
s stretches almost 4800 miles (7,724.8 km) from Kaliningrad
in the west to the Kamchatka Peninsula
in the east, and major cities such as Moscow
and Saint Petersburg
are served by extensive rapid transit
systems.
Russia has adopted two national transport strategies in recent years. On 12 May 2005, the Russian Ministry of Transport
adopted the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation to 2020. Three years later, on 22 November 2008, the Russian government adopted a revised strategy, extending to 2030.
The export of transport services is an important component of Russia’s GDP. The government
anticipates that between 2007 and 2030, the measures included in its 2008 transport strategy will increase the export of transport services to a total value of $80 billion, a sevenfold increase on its 2008 value. Foreign cargo weight transported is expected to increase from 28 million tonnes to 100 million tonnes over the same period.
, with a total track length of 87157 kilometres (54,157 mi) as of 2011. Of this, 86200 kilometres (53,562.3 mi) uses a broad rail gauge
of , while a narrow gauge of is used on a 957-km (595-mile) stretch of railway on Sakhalin Island. Electrified track accounts for around half of the Russian railway network - totalling 40300 kilometres (25,041.3 mi) - but carries the majority of railway traffic.
Russian Railways
, the state-owned national rail carrier, is one of the world's largest transport companies, enjoying a monopoly
over rail transport in Russia. Established in 1992, it employs an estimated 950,000 people, and accounted for 2.5% of the entire national GDP in 2009. In 2007 alone, Russian Railways carried a total of 1.3 billion passengers and 1.3 billion tons of freight on its common-carrier routes.
Also there is a Metrotram system in Volgograd
and three more cities with metro systems under construction:
s not necessarily compatible.
Japan – no Alaska (
United States) – no – but proposed via Bering Strait crossing Norway – no – But Proposed Via 
Finland & 
Sweden – break of gauge /, or Murmansk
– Kirkenes
(10 km of on the Norwegian side will probably be widened to Finland – Yes — same gauge of / Estonia – Yes — same gauge of Latvia – Yes — same gauge of Lithuania – Yes – same gauge of Poland – Yes – Via
Kaliningrad Oblast – break of gauge / Belarus – Yes – same gauge of Ukraine – Yes – same gauge of Georgia – Yes – same gauge of Azerbaijan – Yes – same gauge of Kazakhstan – Yes – same gauge of China – Yes – break of gauge / Mongolia – Yes – same gauge of North Korea – Yes – break of gauge /
Road safety in Russia is poor with road accident deaths per million population higher than all countries in the G8 and the other BRIC countries, although the absolute number is actually less than China, India and USA . When assessing the level of risk when travelling on Russia's roads (i.e. the number of accidents per unit of travel) it is 60 times that of Great Britain. With a large land area the road density is the lowest of all the G8
and BRIC
countries.
routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet 95,900 km;
routes with night navigational aids 60,400 km;
man-made navigable routes 16,900 km (January 1994 est.)
According to the data of the Maritime Board (Morskaya Kollegiya) of the Russian Government for 2004, 136.6 million tons of cargo have been carried that year over Russia's inland waterways, the total cargo transportation volume being 87,556.5 million ton-km. During same year, 53 companies were engaged in carrying passengers over Russia's inland waterways; they transported 22.8 million passengers, the total volume of river passenger transportation being 841.1 million passenger-km.
, Kaliningrad
, St. Petersburg
, Vyborg
, Vysotsk
.
, Dudinka
, Igarka
, Murmansk
, Tiksi
, Vitino
.
, Nakhodka
, Nevelsk
, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
, Vanino
, Vladivostok
, Vostochny Port
.
total:
695 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,920,923 GRT/
ships by type:
barge carrier 1, bulk 19, cargo 379, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 21, combination ore/oil 3, container 25, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 35, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 149, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off 22, short-sea passenger 7 (1999 est.)
total:
630
over 3,047 m:
54
2,438 to 3,047 m:
202
1,524 to 2,437 m:
108
914 to 1,523 m:
115
under 914 m:
151 (1994 est.)
total:
1,887
over 3,047 m:
25
2,438 to 3,047 m:
45
1,524 to 2,437 m:
134
914 to 1,523 m:
291
under 914 m:
1,392 (1994 est.)
Airway
The pulmonary airway comprises those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, conceptually beginning at the nose and mouth, and terminating in the alveoli...
s stretches almost 4800 miles (7,724.8 km) from Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
in the west to the Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
in the east, and major cities such as Moscow
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...
are served by extensive rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
systems.
Russia has adopted two national transport strategies in recent years. On 12 May 2005, the Russian Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Transport (Russia)
The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation is the Russian ministry responsible for developing public policies and legal regulations regarding commercial aviation, sea transport, inland waterway transport, railroads, road transport, urban metro systems, and commercial transport vehicles...
adopted the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation to 2020. Three years later, on 22 November 2008, the Russian government adopted a revised strategy, extending to 2030.
The export of transport services is an important component of Russia’s GDP. The government
anticipates that between 2007 and 2030, the measures included in its 2008 transport strategy will increase the export of transport services to a total value of $80 billion, a sevenfold increase on its 2008 value. Foreign cargo weight transported is expected to increase from 28 million tonnes to 100 million tonnes over the same period.
Rail transport
Russia has the world's second-largest railway network, second only to that of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a total track length of 87157 kilometres (54,157 mi) as of 2011. Of this, 86200 kilometres (53,562.3 mi) uses a broad rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of , while a narrow gauge of is used on a 957-km (595-mile) stretch of railway on Sakhalin Island. Electrified track accounts for around half of the Russian railway network - totalling 40300 kilometres (25,041.3 mi) - but carries the majority of railway traffic.
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...
, the state-owned national rail carrier, is one of the world's largest transport companies, enjoying a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over rail transport in Russia. Established in 1992, it employs an estimated 950,000 people, and accounted for 2.5% of the entire national GDP in 2009. In 2007 alone, Russian Railways carried a total of 1.3 billion passengers and 1.3 billion tons of freight on its common-carrier routes.
Rapid-transit systems
- Moscow MetroMoscow MetroThe Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
– 12 lines, 182 stations, 301.2 km - Saint Petersburg MetroSaint Petersburg MetroThe Saint Petersburg Metro is the underground railway system in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It has been open since November 15, 1955.Formerly known as the V.I...
– 5 lines, 63 stations, 105.6 km - Nizhny Novgorod MetroNizhny Novgorod MetroThe Nizhny Novgorod Metro , formerly known as Gorky Metro is a rapid-transit system that serves the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Opened in 1985, it consists of 13 stations and is 15.3 kilometres long.-History:...
– 1 line, 13 stations, 15.3 km - Novosibirsk MetroNovosibirsk Metro-History:Novosibirsk is the third largest city of Russia, with a population of 1.4 million people. It was founded as a junction city between the main transfer arteries in Siberia, the Trans-Siberian railway and the Ob River. Thus, it was not a surprise that the city grew very quickly...
– 2 lines, 12 stations, 14.3 km - Samara MetroSamara MetroSamara Metro , formerly known as the Kuybyshev Metro , is a rapid transit system which serves the city of Samara, Russia. Opened in 1987, it consists of one line with 9 stations and 11.4 km of bi-directional long track.-History:...
– 1 line, 9 stations, 10.3 km - Yekaterinburg MetroYekaterinburg MetroThe Yekaterinburg Metro is a rapid transit system that serves the city of Yekaterinburg, Russia.-History:Yekaterinburg, formerly called Sverdlovsk, was always known as the informal capital of the Urals, a natural divide between Europe and Asia, between Siberia and the European Russia. The city...
– 1 line, 7 stations, 8.5 km - Kazan MetroKazan MetroKazan Metro is a rapid-transit system that serves the city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Opened on August 27, 2005, it is the newest system in Russia, and the first one to open after the breakup of the Soviet Union.-Planning:...
– 1 line, 6 stations, 8.3 km
Also there is a Metrotram system in Volgograd
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
and three more cities with metro systems under construction:
- OmskOmsk MetroOmsk Metro is currently under construction in Omsk, Russia. After long delays, the first section is scheduled to open in 2016, which will make it Siberia's second metropolitan underground railway system after the Novosibirsk Metro system that was opened in the mid 1980s.-History:Central planners...
- ChelyabinskChelyabinsk MetroChelyabinsk Metro is an underground rapid transit system being constructed in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Envisioned in the 1960s, construction started in early 1980s....
- KrasnoyarskKrasnoyarsk MetroKrasnoyarsk Metro System is a future subway system in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The system is currently under construction with a planned opening in 2012.-System:...
.
Rail links with adjacent countries
Voltage of electrification systemRailway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
s not necessarily compatible.
Japan – no Alaska (
United States) – no – but proposed via Bering Strait crossing Norway – no – But Proposed Via Finland & Sweden – break of gauge /, or MurmanskMurmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
– Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
(10 km of on the Norwegian side will probably be widened to Finland – Yes — same gauge of / Estonia – Yes — same gauge of Latvia – Yes — same gauge of Lithuania – Yes – same gauge of Poland – Yes – Via
Kaliningrad Oblast – break of gauge / Belarus – Yes – same gauge of Ukraine – Yes – same gauge of Georgia – Yes – same gauge of Azerbaijan – Yes – same gauge of Kazakhstan – Yes – same gauge of China – Yes – break of gauge / Mongolia – Yes – same gauge of North Korea – Yes – break of gauge /Roads and highways
As of 2006 Russia had 933,000 km of roads, of which 755,000 were paved. Some of these make up the Russian federal motorway system.Road safety in Russia is poor with road accident deaths per million population higher than all countries in the G8 and the other BRIC countries, although the absolute number is actually less than China, India and USA . When assessing the level of risk when travelling on Russia's roads (i.e. the number of accidents per unit of travel) it is 60 times that of Great Britain. With a large land area the road density is the lowest of all the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
and BRIC
BRIC
In economics, BRIC is a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, which are all deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development...
countries.
Inland waterways
Total navigable routes in general use: 101,000 km;routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet 95,900 km;
routes with night navigational aids 60,400 km;
man-made navigable routes 16,900 km (January 1994 est.)
According to the data of the Maritime Board (Morskaya Kollegiya) of the Russian Government for 2004, 136.6 million tons of cargo have been carried that year over Russia's inland waterways, the total cargo transportation volume being 87,556.5 million ton-km. During same year, 53 companies were engaged in carrying passengers over Russia's inland waterways; they transported 22.8 million passengers, the total volume of river passenger transportation being 841.1 million passenger-km.
Pipelines
crude oil 48,000 km; petroleum products 15,000 km; natural gas 140,000 km (June 1993 est.)Baltic Sea
BaltiyskBaltiysk
Baltiysk , prior to 1945 known by its German name Pillau , is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, located on the northern part of the Vistula Spit, on the shore of the Strait of Baltiysk separating the Vistula Bay from the Gdańsk Bay. Baltiysk...
, Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, St. 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...
, Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, Vysotsk
Vysotsk
Vysotsk is a coastal town and a seaport in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus, on the eastern shore of the Bay of Vyborg, southwest of Vyborg and northwest of St. Petersburg. It hosts a base of the Russian Baltic Fleet and an oil terminal...
.
White Sea, Barents Sea, and other seas of Arctic Ocean
ArkhangelskArkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
, Dudinka
Dudinka
Dudinka is a town and the administrative center of Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It was the administrative center of Taymyr Autonomous Okrug, which was merged into Krasnoyarsk Krai on January 1, 2007. It is a port in the lower reaches of the Yenisei River,...
, Igarka
Igarka
Igarka is an town in Turukhansky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located north of the Arctic Circle. It is also a port on the Yenisei River, located away from the river's mouth...
, Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, Tiksi
Tiksi
Tiksi is an urban locality and the administrative center of Bulunsky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, situated on the Arctic Ocean coast. Population: It is one of the principal ports for accessing the Laptev Sea...
, Vitino
Vitino
Vitino is an oil port on the White Sea in Russia. It is located near the station Beloye More a few kilometers south of Kandalaksha, Murmansk Oblast, on the western shore of Kandalaksha Gulf....
.
Seas of Pacific Ocean
KholmskKholmsk
Kholmsk is a town in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, the administrative center of Kholmsky District. Population: 35,141 .-History:The town was founded in 1870 as a military post. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, the town was transferred to Japanese control, along with the rest of southern...
, Nakhodka
Nakhodka
Nakhodka is a port city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Trudny Peninsula jutting into the Nakhodka Bay of the Sea of Japan, about east of Vladivostok...
, Nevelsk
Nevelsk
Nevelsk is a port town in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. Population 18,639 .-Geography:The town is located on the southwest coast of Sakhalin, 123 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on the Sea of Japan.-History:...
, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the main city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Population: .-History:It was founded by Danish navigator Vitus Bering, in the service of the Russian Navy...
, Vanino
Vanino, Khabarovsk Krai
Vanino is an urban-type settlement and the administrative center of Vaninsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is an important port on the Strait of Tartary , served by the BAM railway line...
, Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, Vostochny Port
Vostochny Port
Vostochny Port is intermodal container port at the Eastern end of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the largest port in the Russian Far East. It is located in Vrangel , Primorsky Krai. A deep-water port on the Nakhodka Bay , it operates year round and is suitable for handling large tonnage ships...
.
Merchant marine
total:
695 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,920,923 GRT/
ships by type:
barge carrier 1, bulk 19, cargo 379, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 21, combination ore/oil 3, container 25, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 35, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 149, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off 22, short-sea passenger 7 (1999 est.)
Airports
Total airports: 2,743 (2002)Airports with paved runways
total:
630
over 3,047 m:
54
2,438 to 3,047 m:
202
1,524 to 2,437 m:
108
914 to 1,523 m:
115
under 914 m:
151 (1994 est.)
Airports with unpaved runways
total:
1,887
over 3,047 m:
25
2,438 to 3,047 m:
45
1,524 to 2,437 m:
134
914 to 1,523 m:
291
under 914 m:
1,392 (1994 est.)
See also
- Bering Strait bridge/tunnelBering Strait BridgeA Bering Strait crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel spanning the relatively narrow and shallow Bering Strait between the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska...
- Ministry of Transport (Russia)Ministry of Transport (Russia)The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation is the Russian ministry responsible for developing public policies and legal regulations regarding commercial aviation, sea transport, inland waterway transport, railroads, road transport, urban metro systems, and commercial transport vehicles...
External links
- Russian, CIS and Baltic Railway Map (with place names in Russian, but legend in English).
- Search Engine of Russian intercity buses
- Search Engine of Moscow city transport. This engine provides the fastest and the most comfortable routes of Moscow's transport with detailed information about every route.
- Russian Transport Daily Report