The troubled 150-year history of eastern Europe, including Finland and the Baltic States, explains the presence of 1,520 mm Russian gauge tracks in this vast area. However, in Poland and Slovakia, some Russian gauge lines still exist. Let's take a trip to Eastern Europe to see what it's like.
From the Russian Empire to the USSR
Poland
The capital Warsaw established its first railway connections as early as 1845 with the Warsaw-Vienna line. Over the following years, several other lines were implemented in "Russian" Poland: Warsaw-St. Petersburg in 1860; Warsaw-Moscow in 1866 via Terespol; the Peripheral Railway in 1884, linking the Warsaw-Vienna and Warsaw-Terespol lines; and in 1914, the Mława-Warsaw-Lublin-Kovel line. All these railway developments were constructed using a gauge of 1,524 mm, the standard adopted by the Russian Empire.
These lines facilitated connections between two great empires: the Russian Empire and the Habsburg Empire.
After World War I, the German railways took over nearly 3,000 kilometers of broad gauge and converted it to the standard 1,435 mm gauge. Additionally, they replaced wooden sleepers with concrete ones because German trains were heavier. Upon their withdrawal in 1945, the Nazis destroyed railway infrastructure, rendering it inoperable for Russians. Photos of this can be found at this link.
The retreat of Russian troops in January 1945 preserved the Upper Silesian railway network and parts of the Lower Silesian lines from destruction, as they were converted to the 1.435 mm standard. Thus, despite the new Soviet regime, these tracks were rebuilt to UIC 1.435 mm standard without further conversions.
On the Baltic side
Railway construction in Finland started relatively late, in 1860, when it was still a very poor country. Being an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russian rule, Finland adopted the Empire's gauge at 1,524 mm. The railway link from Helsinki to St. Petersburg via Riihimäki and Vyborg was opened in 1870.
Finland, now an independent country since 1917, maintained its railway network built entirely with the 1.524 mm gauge after both world wars. This creates a significant gap concerning the border with Sweden, which is far from Helsinki. As a result, connections between Finland and Europe primarily rely on maritime routes.
The three Baltic States have a similar historical narrative to Poland, having been part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Railway development began with the Warsaw-St. Petersburg line, passing through all three countries, logically following Russia's gauge of 1,520 mm. In the 1940s, the sections between Vilnius and Warsaw were rebuilt to the UIC standard gauge.
Historically, all three Baltic States underwent conversions to UIC 1.435 mm gauge during turbulent times, alongside having extensive 750 mm narrow gauge networks.
The incorporation of the three Baltic States into the Soviet Union in 1940 eradicated this diversity as the Baltic railways became part of the USSR railway network. Railway operations were reorganized according to Soviet protocols, and tracks were largely converted to the official Russian width of 1,524 mm. Fragmented sections were converted back to the standard gauge of 1,435 mm during the German occupation in 1941, but after WWII, the Baltic railway workers reverted to the Russian gauge of 1.524 mm.
Nothing has changed since, even after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the regained independence of the three Baltic States. Consequently, rail transit now poses significant challenges between these states and Poland.
After the fall of the Iron Curtain
Despite Eastern Europe once again being under the Soviet bloc, there was no renewed plan to convert the rail network to the Russian 1.524 mm gauge. The Baltic States already utilized this gauge, while other Warsaw Pact nations kept the 1.435 mm gauge. Finland, having been spared by the Red Army, also retained the 1.524 mm gauge. In the 1990s, the Russian gauge was further amended to 1.520 mm for reasons related to tolerances and rolling stability; however, discussions around the exact origin of this decision indicate no impact on rolling stock bogies. The 1,520 mm gauge remains the official measure in present-day Russia, whereas Finland did not adopt this change.
To facilitate movement from these countries to the USSR without changing trains, bogie-changing workshops were installed at key border points (marked in red on the map). These workshops specifically exchange bogies, rather than changing axle gauges like the Talgo system. The workshops feature tracks for both 1,520 mm and 1,435 mm gauges, allowing for the sequential lifting and exchanging of bogies. This operation can take around two hours, and notably, passengers remain on board during the process.
The covered workshop in Brest, a border town in Belarus, connects to Poland via Terespol, strategically located along the primary Warsaw-Minsk-Moscow route.
Russian gauge tracks into the 1.435 mm network
It is fascinating to explore the operational or planned broad gauge lines across Europe, particularly where the 1.435 mm gauge predominates.
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A broad gauge track for the steel industry in Poland
This project, executed during the Polish People's Republic, includes a 394 km non-electrified broad gauge line, originally known as the Hrubieszów-Huta-Katowice line. Built in 1969-1973, it connects the border station of Hrubieszów to the station of Sławków Południowy in central Silesia. This corridor emerged during the Soviet industrialization phase, facilitating ore transport from Ukraine to the Huta Katowice complex in Poland, while returning sulfur from Staszów and coal from Silesia.
Between 1973 and 2000, infrequent long-distance passenger trains from Russia and Ukraine operated on this route, leading to the construction of passenger platforms at some stations. In 2001, PKP LHS acquired the line, establishing transfer terminals at both ends and along the route for unloading various goods imported from Ukraine, creating a connection with the Chinese Silk Roads. Today, this "Russian" track actively links Ukraine with Poland via broad gauge.
Another Polish broad gauge track
Following the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Lviv became an integral part of the Soviet Union. During the population exchange between Poland and Soviet Ukraine in 1944-1946, Poland lost significant portions of its historical territory. Today, Lviv is connected to Poland via a 1,520 mm wide gauge line, reaching the Polish station of Przemyśl—now the terminus for trains from Poland and Ukraine.
For many Europeans, the picturesque Przemyśl station has become a popular meeting point for prime ministers and presidents of Europe, facilitating luxurious train journeys to Kyiv following the temporary closure of Ukrainian airspace due to the Russian invasion. These prominent travelers therefore utilize a broad gauge line while on Polish territory.
Two Russian lines in Slovakia
The major industrial initiatives of the Soviet era also led to the establishment of the 1,520 mm gauge in eastern Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia.
The Uzhhorod-Haniska freight line, recognized as the broad gauge line (ŠRT), spans 87 km, linking the Ukrainian railway to the Haniska ironworks south of Košice. Since 1998, it has been dedicated exclusively to freight transportation, with electrification to 3kV. The majority of operational trains utilize the two-part electric locomotives from the 125.8 series operated by ZSCS.
The second ŠRT line, shorter at 10 km, operates from Chop in Ukraine via Čierna nad Tisou to the Dobrá container terminal in Slovakia.
Projects at a standstill
Initial optimism for a more open Russia with ties to the West post-1989 inspired several plans for better integration of Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian networks with Europe. Tourism initiatives in 2011 led to the launch of the Moscow-Nice night train via Vienna, and negotiations for improved relations with the West saw a Talgo night train service initiated between Berlin and Moscow in December 2012.
However, all progress halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a situation that worsened with the invasion of Ukraine.
The Austrian project
Another intriguing venture, somewhat overlooked, aimed to connect Moscow to Vienna (and Italy) via a broad gauge line through Ukraine.
In April 2017, RZD (the Russian railway company), alongside the Austrian, Slovakian, and Ukrainian railway companies, signed a protocol for the preliminary project phase to extend the broad gauge railway network across Central Europe. The parties intended to assess the technical and financial viability of modernizing the existing infrastructure and constructing a new broad gauge railway line.
The proposed 450 km line would extend the existing 87 km ŠRT line from Uzhhorod in Ukraine to support a new steel plant initiative in Haniska, Slovakia. The line was electrified to 3kV DC in the early 2000s.
This project aimed to also connect the Central European railway system with regions along the Trans-Siberian route. It was communicated that the extension of the broad gauge track was intended to reach Košice (Slovakia) to Vienna (Austria).
Vladimir Yakunin expressed excitement for the initiative, emphasizing development in not just rail transport but also in harmonizing transport rights and deeper integration between CIS countries and the EU.
Additionally, this project became more intriguing with potential connectivity to the Chinese Silk Roads initiative, enhancing competitiveness in rail transportation compared to sea and road avenues. The prospect of becoming an Asian hub was compelling for Vienna.
However, building a Russian broad gauge railway line to Vienna raised alarms in Poland about establishing a transit route from the east that would bypass Polish territory. For Polish railway representatives, this project represented a direct threat to the LHS line.
In light of recent events, fears within Poland have likely dissipated for two reasons.
Firstly, the Austrian elections in September 2019 introduced coalition partners from the Green party, reconfiguring support levels for Russian plans. In April 2020, Austria's Minister of Transport Leonore Gewessler informed Parliament that no plans were in place to legislate for a Russian broad gauge line project within Austrian borders, citing a lack of progress in Slovakia and uncertainties surrounding project financing.
The second reason encompasses the geopolitical upheaval that emerged around the Black Sea following events in Georgia, Crimea, Donbass, etc. This has severely eroded the trust that was previously held towards Russia.
In May 2021, Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) officially withdrew from the joint venture responsible for the Košice-Vienna project, thus prioritizing a departure from Russian connections. This shift also dashed Chinese aspirations for the Silk Road initiative. Amidst the ongoing conflict, Ukraine announced extensive infrastructural and regulatory changes aimed at tighter integration into the EU transport networks, with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announcing gradual construction of railways following European UIC 1.435 mm standards.
Future developments will clarify whether these UIC conversion plans will successfully unfold in Ukraine, particularly between Lviv and Przemyśl. The urgency of reconstructing Ukraine may overshadow the push for any UIC conversions.
Apart from Rail Baltica, there are no present plans for conversion to UIC standards in the three Baltic States or in Finland. The February 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine has ultimately quashed any remaining ambitions for peace and trade expansion through a Russian 1,520 mm network in Europe.
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