The Trans-Siberian Railway: Journey Through 8 Different Time Zones

26.06.2018 13:08

Did you know: The Trans-Siberian railroad is spreading on 9,288 km
Spanning an incredible 9,288 kilometres from Moscow to Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian railway is the longest direct rail route in the world. It passes through over eighty cities and small towns and crossing 16 large rivers, including the Volga, Ob, Yenisei and Amur.

Did you know: The construction works of Trans-Siberian railroad began with a quarter of century delay
Construction of the railway was first proposed in the middle of the nineteenth centur and many foreign companies offerd to fund the development immediately. But the construction actually began 25 years later - in 1891, under the power of Emperor Alexander the III. The Russian tsars had wanted full ownership of the railroad, with no foreign influence and this resultied in the quarter of a century delay.

Did you know: 60 000 workers were used for building the Trans-Siberian railway
An estimated 60,000 workers were enlisted to build the Trans-Siberian railway, many of them soldiers, local labourers and convicts.

Did you know: The Trans-Siberian railway passes through 8 different time zones
From start to finish the Trans-Siberian railway passes through eight different time zones. In Russia all timetables, station clocks and train clocks remain in Moscow time, while in Mongolia and China they revert to local time. Good luck wrapping your head around the clock, travelers!

Did you know: Lifting the carriages every time the Trans-Siberian railroad crosses the border of China
The railway systems of Mongolia and Russia use a different size gauge than in China. That means, when crossing the border from or into China every carriage of the train has to be lifted and the bogies changed in order to continue the journey.

Did you know: The longest tunnel of Trans-Siberian railroad is 2 km long
The longest tunnel on the Trans-Siberian route is two kilometres long. Holding your breath for this one! The longest bridge is Amur which is 26,000 metres in length.

Did you know: The Trans-Siberian railroad is still uncompleted
Due to the enormous financial burden of the railway, many short cuts were taken during its construction. While it was officially finished in 1916, work and maintenance of the railway will never really be complete.