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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
A sky train, a death rail, a station with no staff: 200 years on, trains have come a long way
The fastest commuter train in the world, in Shanghai, China, has no wheels; it uses magnetic levitation for a smoother, faster ride. The longest route in the world sits within just one country: Russia. It spans nearly 9,300 km. The world's highest railway station, part of the Qinghai-Tibet railway line built by China, sits more than 4,000 metres above sea level. Tucked amid the Himalayas, one of its stations is so remote, it has no staff at all. The air is so thin, passengers cannot alight. (Read on for more on this). Where else do the railways create a little bit of history every day? Take a tour. Largest rail network: USA The railroad was so pivotal in the US that towns lived and died by its proximity (until the roads took over, hurling themselves across the vast expanses with greater ease, and taking over where the trains had once ruled). Between the 1830s and 1850s, the reach of these tracks expanded so rapidly, it birthed a generation of rail barons — people who had invested in these ventures, and were now raking it in. It also birthed the Panic of 1873, as overextended banks and companies now facing a dip, took a tumble together. The tracks laid down still serve the country, though. The US has the largest rail network in the world: over 250,000 km of track. Today, this vast network is used overwhelmingly for freight, in a country where cars, private transportation and cheap oil take precedence. The longest line: The Trans-Siberian link, Russia This is a single line that essentially spans a continent. It reaches from Moscow in western Russia all the way to Vladivostok in the far east. It was built as a power move, by the Russian tsar Alexander III and his son and successor Nicholas II. But really, it was built, between 1891 and 1916, by generations of prisoners. To keep costs down, convicts were put to work on the project. Parts of it came to be nicknamed the Death Road because of its high toll. The model would be so successful that it would live on as Russia turned communist and Joseph Stalin took over. Dissenters, resistant landowners and political prisoners were sent to camps scattered across this vast land, to work on roads, canals, railroads and in mines. The horrors of this punishment, with many labourers never heard from again, inspired Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's remarkable non-fiction work, The Gulag Archipelago, released in 1973, two decades after Stalin's death. The Trans-Siberian Railway remains the longest single rail link in the world, spanning nearly 9,300 km. The journey from Moscow to Vladivostok takes up to eight days (depending on the route and rake), and passes through eight time zones. The world's busiest station: Shinjuku, Japan Serving over 3.5 million passengers a day, the Shinjuku station sits in Tokyo's busy business and entertainment district, linking the densely populated city and its suburbs, and connecting commuters with major hubs of bus transit and the airport. In an indication of its scale, the station has more than 200 exits. World's highest railway station: Tanggula, Tibet This unstaffed station is also the highest in the world, sitting 5,068 metres above sea level. Built by China as part of the Qinghai-Tibet line, the 'sky train', as it has been nicknamed, halts here for a few minutes, so that passengers can take in the breathtaking views. They cannot alight; the air is too thin. The train itself has an internal air-pressure system, and supplemental oxygen piped through it. Busiest railway system: India (With input from Vandana Dubey)
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Putin talks nuclear weapons and punching people over tea inside Moscow flat
Vladimir Putin said he 'hopes' Russia will not need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, as he drank tea with a journalist and discussed his desire to punch everyone on a tour of his Kremlin apartment. In a preview of an upcoming state TV film to mark his quarter century in power, the Russian leader claimed he was strong enough to finish the three-year war without relying on nuclear weapons. 'There has been no need to use those [nuclear] weapons ... and I hope they will not be required,' he said in response to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Kremlin soil. 'We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires.' In the first look inside his private Kremlin apartment, Putin gave state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin a brief tour of the rooms, which he said he has stayed in for most nights since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In one video clip, he is seen making tea for the journalist in a small kitchen as well as offering him chocolates and some Russian fermented milk. Looking back on his 25 years as Russian leader, the 72-year-old claimed that he doesn't 'feel like some kind of politician' and that he remains close to the concerns of ordinary people. 'I breathe the same air' 'I continue to breathe the very same air as millions of Russian citizens. It is very important. God willing that it continues as long as possible. And that it doesn't disappear,' he said. Asked whether he sometimes gets the urge to punch someone despite his 'cold-blooded and reserved' exterior, Putin answered: 'Always', adding: 'But I fight it'. Putin, a former KGB colonel, is the longest serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin, who was in power for 29 years until his death in 1953. His private life is highly secretive, and his decision to open his Kremlin home to journalists suggests an eagerness to present himself in a more personal light. As he begins the interview, Putin is seen opening the front door of the apartment to Mr Zarubin, quipping that 'Yes, this is the apartment, as you can see it's not far away.' His remark suggests that the location of the apartment is not far from the Kremlin itself, the fortified official seat of government in Moscow. Putin and his interviewer then move into a hallway area adorned with chandeliers and gold-framed mirrors, while a large portrait of Russian Emperor Alexander III is prominently placed on a mantelpiece. Ironically Alexander III, who ruled in the late 19th-century, was known as the 'Peacemaker' in Russia as he fought no major wars. Putin, meanwhile, is facing growing criticism from the Trump administration for obstructing US and Ukrainian efforts to strike a peace deal to end the war. The apartment's colour scheme is a mix of whites and golds, and is said to contain a library, a small church and two bedrooms as well as its kitchen. A white piano can also be seen in the footage and, when asked if he plays it, Putin says he rarely has the time to do so. Showing off his fridge at one point, he revealed he was a big fan of kefir, a fermented milk drink that is good for gut health. Putin is celebrating 25 years in power after he emerged as the victor of the March 2024 election, which is widely suspected to have been rigged. Putin secured 87 per cent of the vote. In the TV interview, he addressed the question of who should replace him as leader of Russia, but only in vague terms. 'I think that there should be a person, or rather several people, so that the people have a choice,' he said. It came as the Kremlin announced Putin would be signing a 'series of deals' next week with Chinese president Xi Jinping, during a three-day visit to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations. Moscow's famous Victory Day parade will be held under tight security on Red Square, with Russian soldiers who took part in the illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 expected to play a prominent role.
