On the press review «Extent and duration of construction of indispensable railways» (publication of 1912 in the Rail Business [Zheleznodorozhnoe Delo] Journal)

Abstract

Press archives

In 1912, the Rail Business journal published a material that was, in fact, a statement of the approaches that had developed at that time to the expediency and pace of further development of the railway network, including the uniformity of this pace, as well as, in modern terms, to the transport connectivity of the country’s territory, the socio-economic effects of its growth, and sources of investment. Three points of view were presented: that of the chairman of the High Commission for the Study of the Railway Business; that of his opponent under the initials A. F. whose name remained unknown, but, who, apparently, had the authoritative opinion; and that of the editorial board of the journal itself.

Despite the radically changed economic conditions and technological structure, which have led to the loss of relevance of some of the issues discussed, some other fundamental points raised in the discussion in absentia on the pages of the journal being adapted to modern realities may be of some interest, including, possibly, in the aspect of the implementation of modern large infrastructure projects.

The reprinted, slightly abridged text preserves as much as possible authentic punctuation, vocabulary and abbreviations commonly applied at the time of initial publication.