Soviet Railways

Soviet Railways

Steam locomotives, such as the P36, were the quintessential symbol of the Soviet Railways.
Reporting mark	SZhD, SZD
Locale	Soviet Union
Dates of operation	1922–1991
Predecessor	RIZhD, JGR
Successor	RŽD, UZ, BCh, ADDY, SR, HYU, LG, CFM, EVR, LZD, KTZ, OTY, TZD, KTJ
Track gauge	1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in)
Electrification	3 kV DC, 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
Length	147,400 km (91,600 mi)
Headquarters	Moscow

The Soviet Railways (Russian: Cоветские железные дороги (CЖД)) was the state owned national railway system of the Soviet Union, headquartered in Moscow. The railway started operations in December 1922, shortly after the formation of the USSR. It operated until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The Soviet Railways were the largest unified railway in the world and the backbone of the USSR's economy. SZD greatly upgraded and expanded the Russian Imperial Railways to meet the demands of the Union. The railway was directly under the control of the Ministry of Railways in the Soviet Union.

After the dissolution of the USSR, the Soviet Railways were split into 14 different national railways belonging to the respective countries. However, after the end of the SZD, rail transport in the former USSR states greatly declined and have not recovered to their former efficiency to this day. The Russian Railways are widely considered as the primary successor of the SZhD. Other successors inherit the Soviet infrastructure in Central Asia.