The St. Petersburg to Moscow Railway: A History

In Moscow, one square, officially named Komsomolskaya, is home to three impressive railway stations. Locally, this is known as "Three Station Square." Their names are Kazansky, Yaroslavsky and Leningradsky stations. Each one has a clock tower. With a golden statue of the minister who built Russia's railways gleaming in the center, Three Station Square may be the epicenter of railway enthusiasm in the world. If you feel like playing Russian Historical

Royal Beginnings

Originally, the purpose of this line was to supplant transport by cargo ships. Nowadays, this railway only carries people. The idea for a railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow came from Franz Gerstner, a German bussinessman. This future-oriented entreprenuer tried to convice the Tsar to build Russia's first railroad. It would connect St. Petersburg to Moscow, then on to Nizhny Novgorod. As Britain already had railroads, the emporer became interested in setting up a commission on the issue.

However, the commision was not happy with the German's plan. Gerstner demanded a monopoly on building Russian trains for the next two decades. The comission declared his plan too exclusive and ambitious. Gersner saw his plan greatly reduced. Instead, the comission allowed him to build a 27-km line, which opened in 1837. It ran from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo.

After the emperor sent a promising Russian engineer to learn about American railroads, the commission considered his proposal for a longer rail system. Melnikov's plan included trains speeding from St. Petersburg to Moscow at up to 37km/h. However, at a cost of 43 million roubles, it was denied. Suspicions still hadn't been allayed about the safety and effectiveness of railroads. The commission preferred tracks for horse-drawn carriages to meet the same need. Emperor Nikolai discarded the commission's decision. In 1842, he put his royal seal of approval on the building of the railway. It took less than ten years to build this 644-km railroad. For the laborers involved, it was no easy feat.

In the fall of 1851, the Tsar and his entourage would test out the railroad. However, there were still problems lurking about, as ten years was not a long time in such harsh weather, with little rail-building experience. For the journey, soldiers were planted along the line for safety. Additional measures were taken to distract Tsar Nicolai from the railroad's shortcomings. Workers planted temporary gardens along the tracks. Well-dressed workers strolled along the tracks to distract the royal family. Ultimately, the novelty of train travel won out and the Tsar approved of it.
Many passengers would have found the 22-hour journey uncomfortable. The first Russian trains lacked heat, toilets and food service. Babuskas hadn't yet made a habit of selling pies. Sometimes the train paused for twelve hours. Passengers would often walk to the nearest village. It was safer than staying aboard in the heatless cars while trains were repaired.

Improved Reliability

Slowly, the Russian trains along the Saint Petersburg to Moscow route grew more reliable and popular. The journey's duration had fallen to thirteen hours by the twentieth century, and passenger trains could arrive in eight hours by 1913. In the Varshavsky Railway Station Museum in St. Petersburg sits the series C steam locomotive, which reached 100km/h. For a live historical experience today, take the Red Arrow overnight train. It began operation in 1931. It was actually blue at first, because its carriages were First Class Tsarist carriages. However, in the Soviet era, an additional, improved class was added: SV.

During WWII, service on the Moscow St. Petersburg line was interrupted. Leningrad had suffered a blockade, however no significant damage was inflicted on the railway. Presently, the same Moskovsky Railway Station in St. Petersburg that Tsar Nikolai I took off from still receives trains from Moscow. Taking a train trip on this line is historical at either end and in between. However, the majority of the original discomfort has vanished. Instead, passengers find their needs met and can recharge from working or traveling.