SOVIET RAILROADS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 25, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: April 23, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

50X1 '1 'h I S 2.t S(
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFO II AT I ON AF I EC T I NG NATIONAL
WITHIN "1X101 TITLE 11 , sE CTI ONSE053
THE UHITEO STATES, T
O 794, OF THE LGDE, AS AMENDED. ITS T II AN 551551 O. D
OR EI AU TNDR I2ED P R9ONY 19
TIDN ITS CONTENTS TO P1
LF TN I9M FO RY IS PRONI5I TE D.
PROHIBITED 9Y LAW. TXE REP RODUCTI IN
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Soviet Railroads
!LiuLa,-De script
DATE DISTR. 2~3 *r-1-9-52
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
between Omsk and Sverdolvsk in 191.8 the
railroad was single wracked
in July 1951 the Sverddl ovsk.-C.azan.-
A.rzamas"4'Ioscow line was also single tracked,, no
electrification along any parte of the above lines,, However,
most of the Ural industrial. region in and around the Chelyabinsk,
Sverdlovs1. and Nizhne Tagil area had electric railroad lines,,
tracking,, or electrification along the Omsk-Sverdlovsk and the
50X1 Sverdlovsk.-4azan9Arzamas Mascow lines,, 'mare was c.onsiaeraDie
electrification in the Ural industrial area
P in OLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
between sidings must surely have been less than 50 kilometers,,
Neer Oonat,ruction
3. no construction of new lines or branchesv double-
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
~)ux1
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
-2-
Roadbed. -arid Track Description
4. The condition of the roadbed and track was excellent and every
attempt was made to maintain the railroads in the best of condition.
Rails, ties, spikes and ballast, which consisted of sand covered
with gravel, were checked constantly and any repair work
needed was carried out quickly . 50X1
50X1 5. on the above-mentioned lines re air
50X1 one instance rain was held up for five or ten minutes
while a section of rail was replaced.
50X1
50X1
50X1 7
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
intervals along the railroad lines. Repair crews, many of whom
6. Stacks of ties, coated with tar, were in evidence at frequent
were women, were seen frequently on all the lines
Rolling _S to~ck
many types of freight cars, including tank cars, box
location of the additional axles.
some five or six-axled freight cars but cannot recall the
were four-axled,
the railroads). Although practica11v all the freight cars
would again like to emphasize the strict discipline exercised on
the war. (In regard to the condition of the rolling stock
particularly on the sides of flat cars, than before and during
there seemed to be more metal used,
seemed to be in very good condition.
cars, flat cars, gondolas, and refrigerator cars, and they all
appearance of old cars because of the extent to which all
rolling stock is used.
any new cars would quickly assume the
whether the covered cars were loaded. Most of the open cars were
loaded with lumber and some of them had automotive vehicles,
tanks turbines and artiller
were awaiting shipment or transshipment inasmuch as the great
demand for freight cars precludes any rolling stock standing idle
and unused for any great length of time. There were very few
open cars which were empty and there was no way to find out
many cars standing idle on sidings but they
IThe present trend is to
ship tanks and other military equipment in covered cars or at
night.
electric, the latter in the Ural industrial region only.
9. The only types of locomotives) were steam and
most of the locomotives were fairly new, ten years or less.
Traff is
10. Rail traffic was very heavy on all the lines
50X1 particularly those lines leading in and out
of Moscow, but
50X1 cannot estimate the amount of traffic for any given length of
time or'distance, At no time any bottlenecks;
50X1
in fact, the railroad system is one of-the most efficient
50X1 branches of Soviet industry from the point of view of schedules,
maintenance and traffic. No freight train congestion was en-
countered on any of the lines, or on the approaches to Moscow,
Omsk, Sverdlovsk or Brest, recall any unusually heavy
eastbound freight traffic on any part of the Sverdlovsk-Omsk line.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
12.
50X1
Operation of Trains
in Brest~transferred from the Soviet train
onto a German train bound for Berlin. Brest
was the only la
where a change of trains was necessary.
quite old.
the German train seemed to be
rail or a standard Fr1ropean
gauge track running parallel to the Soviet wide gauge track
on the line between Brest and the Polish frontier.
no rolling stock with unusual wheel arrangements
or any installation where car wheels or trucks might be
changed in the vicinity of Brest.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
ce
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100370010-8