RAIL TRIPS IN THE USSR (SANITIZED)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00810A005300480010-3
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 20, 2016
Document Release Date: 
June 26, 2007
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
November 1, 1954
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00810A005300480010-3.pdf179.1 KB
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Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3 .CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT CONFIDENTIAL SUI*CT Rail Trips in the USSR THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE. THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE. (FOR KEY SEE REVERSE) 1. the Volga west of Kazan. The railroad bridge was single-tracked,although the rail line was double-tracked. About 15 meters upstream from the bridge., con- struction of a second railroad bridge had begun. An abutment and a pier on the western bank of the river were under construction. 2. Shlaliskaya was located at about the center of a railroad line which ex- tended 100 kilometers north from the Potma railroad junction in the P:-azan (N 54-40, E 39-40) - Syzran (N 53-11, E 48.27) railroad line. About 25 forced-labor camps were located in the area. The line led through thick woods, was single-tracked., and had passing sidings at railroad stations and stops. The main line from Fbtma to the west was double-tracked. 3. The Brest-Moscow-Omsk-Novosibirsk.Krasnoyarsk?-Kansk railroad line was double-tracked, A new single-track line extended from Kansk (N 56--13, E 95-~0) 'o Novia Poma (sic)tend about 40 trains operated daily on this line.' Passenger and freight cars were in good condition,and freight STATE X ARMY X[ NAVY AIR (NOTE& Weebieyfea didribvlio'n indicated by "X" I Field di. rlbvtion by "#"?) This material contains information aseetioi the We. tional Defense of the United States within the mean. ing of the 'splonare taws. Title 1$, U.S.C. Sees. TO and 794. the tranemisdon at revelation at whbh in any manner to an unauthorised person N peahtMted by law. 25X1 REPORT DATE DISTR. 24 November 1954 NO. OF PAGES 3 REQUIREMENT NO. RD REFERENCES 25X1 Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3 Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3 cars were fitted with modern automatic couplings. Between Kansk and For. , the locomotives were fired by logs one meter long. 4? trip in fall 1953 took 62 hours on the line from 25X1 ovaya-Poltava-Kiev-Korosten- Stalino freight station-Artemovsk-Slaavyans k-Loz Kovel-Brest. The Stalin freight station had a paved loading ramp, about 500 by 40 meters. Soviet rolling stock appeared to be in very good con- dition. At each stop, maintenance work was d^no or the locomotive and cars. The train proceeded at an average speed of 6. 1/h (sic). The Stalino- Ar-temovsk-Slavyansk Lozovaya and the Brest-Frankfurt/Odor sections were double-tracked. the remaining sections observed were, 25X1 single-tracked.* Extensive passing sidings were repeatedly seen. Freight stations were lighted at night by searchlights on high masts. green, red, and white electric signals of an unusual, modern type in the 25X1 Poltava area. Lefore the train reached the I:orosten railroad station, in- formant saw large stocks of coal for locomotives. 5. On a trip on the narrow-gauge railroad line between Norilsk (? 69-20, E 83-06) and Dudinka (1 69-25, E 86-10), a broad-gauge line under con- 25X1 struction parallel to the line. Soviet workers stated that the line was designed to improve traffic conditions in the Norilsk area where new industries were being built. '.'hey also said that the Soviet broad-gauge track had first been laid without a firm foundation in early 1952 and that the line had been put into operation in fall 1952 when the frost period set in. In fall 1953, construction of a firm foundation started. Forced laborers employed in this work were quartered in four or five temporary camps along the line. The stretch between ITorilsk and Kaerkan, about 25 kilometers west of Norilsk, was put into operation in late 1953.5 Work on the IKaerkan-Dudinka section would probably lass. through summer 1954. After completion of the broad-gauge line, the narrow-gauge track was to be replaced by another broad-gauge track. the narrow-gauge stretch was to be replaced by a broad-gauge ne. Accoraing to Soviet forced laborers, work on the line started in fall 1952. The foundation was being reinforced and a broad-gauge track was 25X1 being laid on the north side of the narrow-gauge track. After completion of the broad-gauge track, the narrow-gauge track was to be replaced by another broad-gauge track. travelled by train from Sverdlovsk to Kazan in three days,and from Kazan to Moscow in four days. The train went via Krasnoufimsk-Yanaul-Sarapul-Kazan-Murom. Most of the Sverdlovsk-Moscow line was single-trackE.d..but a second track was being constructed; an estimated one-tenth of the line had been completely double-tracked, including a stretch starting about 125 kilometers east of Iloscow. Aside from this, sections five to ten kilometers long were double-tracked. Construction work was concentrated in the mountainous area between Sverdlovsk and Yanaul where five tunnels and at least 20 bridges were being built by about 20 work details of up to 200 laborers each. On the Sverdlovsk-I~oscow line, four to six passing sidings, each 200 to 300 meters long, were seen at 25 to 30 points. Coaling and watering facilities were available only at railroad stations. 1. Comment: Potma is probably the railroad junction at IT 54-07, - . hlaliskaya is not shown on available maps. Possibly Shaly (I 54-23, E 43-00), which is 12 kilometers east of the midpoint on the line north from Potma,has given its name to the PW camp and to a rail- road stop. 2. Comment: Novia Poma is possibly Novaya, Poyma (N 56-11, E 96-35 )which is approximately 70 kilometers east of Kansk along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3 Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3 3. 4. -3- Convent: Poma, which is mentioned here northeast . is possibly Poyma (N 56-53, E 97-474 150 kilometers ~t1 The Kiev-Korosten line is believed to be double-tracked. Cotes Kaerkan is not shown on available maps. Approved For Release 2007/06/26: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300480010-3