The Railways during the Second World War (1941 – 1945)

Special Military Schedule

Rail transport has played a huge role in the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. From the first days of military action by railway workers took to ensure quick and smooth delivery to the front of the huge number of troops, military equipment, weapons.

To successfully achieve the objectives had to rebuild on a war footing the entire complex railway complex. The beginning of this restructuring was the translation movement of trains on the special military plot, which was introduced by order of the People's Commissariat of Railways (People's Commissariat) June 22, 1941. He called for the promotion of primarily military trains and cargo-related transportation mobilization.

The restructuring of the rail system was seriously complicated by the evacuation. Along with industrial and agricultural equipment, the transport facilities of the railways, factories and enterprises of the People’s Commissariat of Railways were moved away from the frontline zone. During the first period of the war, the railways therefore had to bear a truly unprecedented burden of relocating the country’s production facilities away from areas threatened by occupation to the East. As a result, 25 million people and equipment from more than 2,700 factories and plants were removed from the frontline and frontline zones and relocated in various regions across the country. This made it possible to restore the Soviet Union’s military and industrial potential in the shortest possible time. More than 103,000 metalworking machines alone were dispatched to the rear. It was through the efforts of the rail workers that these vitally important enterprises and their staff were saved. And it was there that the weapons for the Victory were later forged.

Between the Front and the Rear

For rapid advance evakoeshelonov railroad widely used technical innovations used advanced methods of work: the formation of high-speed trains, bezottsepochny repairing, driving heavy trains, sending twin trains. In order to increase the capacity of certain sections of railway in autumn 1941 was introduced "live lock" – every 800-900 meters on stages were Signalist and their signals were trains. Changed work schedules locomotive crews. Before the war locomotive brigade usually drove trains in a particular area (shoulder), in time of war to the composition Crew car attached to the locomotive crew, and she led the train to your destination. Train drivers drove trains thousands of miles away, for months without returning home.

Ensuring the delivery of strategic reserves to the front, the evacuation of property and people from the temporarily occupied by Hitler's troops regions and republics of the country, the railways have become a link between the front and rear.

Rail workers also ensured the preparation and implementation of 51 strategic and 261 frontline operations carried out by the Soviet armed forces during the Great Patriotic War. These operations included the defence of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Kursk Bulge, the breakthrough of the Leningrad blockade, the Rumyantsev and Bagration operations, and the liberation of Europe. The effective and efficient organisation of transportation and the rapid restoration and construction of new lines helped achieve success in these operations, as well as the timely delivery of ammunition, fuel, food and other supplies from the country’s interior. A significant volume of the military aid sent by the Soviet Union’s allies was transported by rail, with about 50% coming along the Trans-Siberian Railway, about 25% via the Northern line from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, and 25% via the Southern routes via Iran, Transcaucasia and the Caspian Sea.

In addition to military tasks, the railways had to keep a continuous supply of industrial raw materials, fuel, metals and other essential goods, as well as to passengers. Thanks to the dedicated work of railway workers during the war, managed to tie the most important economic areas in the rear of a giant in the territory economic complex.

RAIL WORKERS

From the very first days of the war, railway workers played a very direct role. A multi-million-strong team of about three million people, headed by the People’s Commissariat of Railways, carried out colossal mass transportations related not only to the mobilisation and concentration of troops, the relocation of industry to the East and the evacuation of the population, but also to ensuring the functioning of the country’s entire economy. More than 1.5 million rail workers were directly involved in transportation, while the rest worked on construction sites and in rail factories.

During 1941 and 1942, 17 rail lines were completely and 9 partially occupied by the German invaders. The hardest year for rail workers was 1942 – the total number of workers fell by 994,900 people, a decrease of 35%, while the rail network saw a reduction of 684,300 people, a fall of 37%. About 400,000 railway workers joined the Red Army, some of them remained in the occupied territory and joined the partisans, and about 30,000 railway workers died on the front lines from enemy air and artillery strikes.

During 1943 – 1945, the People’s Commissariat of Railways took radical measures to replenish the staff of railway workers. In the victorious year of 1945, 3,078,900 people were already working on the railways. A large number of teenagers were involved in the work of the railways, and over 250,000 people were accepted from railway schools and Factory Training Schools alone. The proportion of women working on the railways during the war years more than doubled, rising from just 22% in 1941. For example, on 1 September 1944, there were 1,301,700 women, or 45% of the total number of railway workers!

During the war, 127 railway workers were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour, well over half of the total 202 awards in this category which the Soviet Union gave out. Over 28,000 were awarded orders and medals, many were awarded the Honorary Railway Worker badge, and 994,917 railway workers were awarded the medal For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Facts and Figures wartime

The share of rail transport in turnover during the war years: in 1941 – 93%; in 1942 – 52%; in 1943 – 58%; in 1944 – 68%; in 1945 – 76%.

• During the war, 443,000 military units were carried on trains and almost 20 million cars were loaded and transported, carrying soldiers, the wounded and civilians, as well as cargo such as ammunition, tanks, artillery, cars and food rations etc. Transported 20 million cars with soldiers, ammunition, military equipment, food. If you build these echelons of the chain, then they can be the whole earth 4 times to wrap around the equator. Trains were a continuous stream, sometimes the interval is 600 – 700 meters.
• 2.7 thousand factories were evacuated to the Urals. This will reduce the time to restore the military and industrial potential.
• In total, from June 1941 to 1945, more than 1.5 billion tons of cargo were dispatched.
• 25 million people were evacuated, a colossal feat that required more than 1.5 million cars.
• During the war, more than 20,000 air raids were carried out on railway stations and main lines, and 250,000 bombs were dropped.
• During the war, railway workers restored about 117,000 km of railway lines, 13,000 small bridges and about 3,000 large bridges.
• During the war, railway workers built 9,845 km of new lines in record time.