Trans-Continental Railways of the World (Trans-Siberian, Trans-Canadian, Trans-Australian)
Geography › Transport and Communication · Topic 14.8
A trans-continental railway crosses a continent from coast to coast. The Trans-Siberian Railway, about 9,289 km from Moscow to Vladivostok, is the longest. The Canadian Pacific line crosses Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, and the Trans-Australian line links Sydney with Perth across the Nullarbor Plain. They opened up interiors, tied far regions to ports and moved settlers, minerals and grain.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Transport and Communication
At a Glance
- Trans-Siberian Moscow to Vladivostok, about 9,289 km
- Trans-Canadian Atlantic to Pacific through the Prairies
- Trans-Australian Sydney–Adelaide–Perth (Indian Pacific)
- First in the United States Union Pacific, completed 1869
- Highest Qinghai–Tibet Railway (2006)
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Transport and Communication
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the amendments to airport regulation and returns to railways at the continental scale. It links the railway networks of the world to the physical regions crossed and to the cities and industries that grew along them. Previous topic: AERA Act Amendment and Its Implications for Air Transport. Next topic: Major Sea Ports of India (Major and Non-Major Ports).
What Are the Main Trans-Continental Railways?
| Railway | Route | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Trans-Siberian | Moscow to Vladivostok through Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk | About 9,289 km, the longest railway in the world; built from 1891 to 1916; electrified; crosses the Ural Mountains, taiga and the Ob and Yenisei rivers |
| Trans-Canadian (Canadian Pacific) | Montreal to Vancouver through the Prairies, Calgary and the Rocky Mountains | Completed in 1885; links the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; carries wheat from the Prairies and minerals; Canadian National is a second line to Prince Rupert and Halifax |
| Trans-Australian (Indian Pacific) | Sydney to Perth through Adelaide and Kalgoorlie | About 4,300 km, completed in 1917; crosses the Nullarbor Plain, including one of the longest straight railway stretches in the world |
| Union Pacific | Omaha to Sacramento in the United States | The first trans-continental line in the United States, completed in 1869 at Promontory, Utah |
| Qinghai–Tibet | Xining to Lhasa in China | Opened in 2006; one of the highest railways in the world, partly on permafrost |
What Is the Trans-Siberian Railway?
- Route: it begins in Moscow, crosses the Ural Mountains into Siberia, passes Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk near Lake Baikal, and ends at Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan.
- Branches: the Trans-Manchurian line to Beijing and the Trans-Mongolian line through Ulaanbaatar to Beijing branch off it, and the Baikal–Amur Mainline runs north of it through the sparsely settled east.
- Function: it carries coal, timber, minerals, oil and containers between Europe and the Pacific, and brought towns and industry to Siberia, as in the heavy-industry regions of Major Industrial Regions of the World.
- Challenges: the cold climate, permafrost, long distances and thinly settled land make maintenance expensive.
- Trade link: container trains on it and on other routes between China and Europe compete with sea transport for some goods, as in Suez Canal 1869; sea-level; Mediterranean to Red Sea Panama Canal 1914; locks;…">Water Transport: Sea Routes and Shipping Canals.
How Did the Trans-Canadian and Trans-Australian Lines Come About?
- Trans-Canadian Railway: the Canadian Pacific was a condition of British Columbia joining Canada, and it was built across the Canadian Shield, the Prairies and the Rockies, with the last spike driven at Craigellachie in 1885. It carries wheat, potash, coal and containers to the ports of Vancouver and Montreal.
- Trans-Australian Railway: the line was built across the Nullarbor Plain, where there is little water or settlement, to join Western Australia with the eastern states, and it was opened in 1917. Today it carries grain, minerals and the tourist train Indian Pacific.
- The Ghan: the north–south line from Adelaide to Darwin, completed in 2004, crosses the continent in the other direction.
- Others: the Orient Express linked Paris with Istanbul, and the Trans-Andean line crosses the Andes between Argentina and Chile.
What Is the Importance of These Railways?
The Canadian Pacific line opened the Prairies to wheat farming and fixed a route through the Rocky Mountains, and the Trans-Australian line joined the western state to the east. In the United States, the Union Pacific and later lines carried settlers and grain, and the transport of grain and coal across the plains remains the chief task of American railways. In each country the railway came before the farms and towns, which grew along it and are shown on the maps of World’s Major Physiographic and Natural Regions.
As an analytical point, trans-continental railways were built for strategic and settlement reasons as much as for profit. Their present value lies in bulk freight and in links to ports, so they depend on the sea routes, Water Transport: Sea Routes and Shipping Canals, and on international politics for their continental traffic. Passenger journeys on them are now mostly tourist trips.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Longest Trans-Siberian
- North America Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific
- Australia Indian Pacific
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the major sea ports of India, the Indian gateways of trade. Next topic: Major Sea Ports of India (Major and Non-Major Ports).
Key People and Terms
- Trans-continental Crossing a continent
- Taiga Northern coniferous forest
- Permafrost Permanently frozen ground
- Nullarbor Plain Treeless limestone plain of Australia
- Prairies Grassland of North America
- BAM Baikal–Amur Mainline
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Vladivostok, about 9,289 km.
- Canadian Pacific was completed in 1885.
- Trans-Australian links Sydney and Perth.
- Union Pacific was completed in 1869.
- Qinghai–Tibet Railway opened in 2006.
Do Not Confuse With
- Trans-Siberian and BAM The old trunk line versus the northern relief line
- Indian Pacific and The Ghan East–west versus north–south in Australia
- Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Two separate companies and routes
Memory Hook
Moscow to the Pacific, Montreal to the sea, Sydney to Perth: iron roads cross the earth.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for the role of railways in opening up interiors. These angles help.
- Settlement Towns and farms along lines
- Bulk freight Coal, grain, timber
- Strategic Linking distant regions
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the trans-continental railways of the world and examine their role in the economic development of the regions through which they pass.”
How to Answer
- Lines Siberian, Canadian, Australian.
- Routes Cities and landscapes.
- Role Settlement and freight.
- Limits Climate and distance.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the longest railway in the world?
The Trans-Siberian Railway, about 9,289 kilometres long, is the longest railway in the world. It runs from Moscow in the west to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast in the east, and was built mostly between 1891 and 1916.
What does the Trans-Canadian Railway connect?
The Canadian Pacific Railway, completed in 1885, links eastern Canada at Montreal with the Pacific coast at Vancouver. It crosses the Prairies and the Rocky Mountains, carrying wheat and minerals, and it helped settle western Canada and tie the country together.
Where does the Trans-Australian Railway run?
The Trans-Australian Railway, now used by the Indian Pacific train, runs from Sydney on the east coast through Adelaide to Perth on the west coast, a distance of about 4,300 kilometres. It crosses the Nullarbor Plain and was completed in 1917.
What was the first trans-continental railway of the United States?
The Union Pacific, joined with the Central Pacific, formed the first trans-continental railway of the United States, completed in 1869 at Promontory in Utah. It linked the eastern railway network with California and speeded up the settlement of the plains.
Which railway is among the highest in the world?
The Qinghai–Tibet Railway in China, which opened in 2006 between Xining and Lhasa, is among the highest railways in the world. Parts of it run on permafrost at very high altitude, and special engineering is used to keep the ground frozen and the track stable.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Trans-Siberian Railway runs from Moscow to Vladivostok.
It is the longest railway in the world.
2 The Canadian Pacific Railway links Vancouver with Montreal.
It was completed in 1885.
3 The Trans-Australian line links Darwin with Adelaide.
That is The Ghan; the Trans-Australian line links Sydney and Perth.
4 The Union Pacific railway was completed in the United States in 1869.
It was the first trans-continental line there.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Transport and Communication. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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