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Railroad Troops / Railway Forces (Zheleznodorozhniki)

Engels, appreciating the appearance of the railways as an important means of increasing the mobility of troops, wrote that the railways and the electric telegraph now gave talented general or Minister of War for a reason entirely new combinations in the European war. This assessment was fully confirmed in the following years.

Railway troops are special troops intended for restoration, barrage, demining, technical cover, construction of railways, increasing their survivability and throughput, bypassing railway bridges, knots, guidance and operation of floating railway bridges in order to ensure the activities of the Armed Forces of the country. As is known, the Railway Troops are an integral part of the system of material and technical support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. All recent years, the construction and development of troops is carried out in accordance with the general concept of building a modern army and navy of Russia.

Ground Forces require three standard military trains per battalion for rail transport. A standard military train consists of 57 rail cars. Each rail car can hold up to two pieces of armored rolling stock, or one passenger/cargo car. Thus, a motorized rifle battalion with 550 personnel and 120 assorted vehicles requires 78 rail cars for transport. A tank battalion requires up to 110 rail cards. Additionally, the combat service support requirements to sustain one battalion also requires one train.

In pursuance of the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, which determine the main directions for the development of the state (including the development of the Armed Forces of the country), the Railway Troops have developed and successfully implemented a plan of activities for the period until 2020. The purpose of the plan is to give the troops an innovative image that meets the needs, goals and objectives in the field of ensuring the national interests of the state, its armed protection, as well as the country's economic and mobilization capabilities.

When solving a strategically important state task (during the construction of a double-track electrified railway, bypassing the territory of Ukraine), the railway troops carried out a huge amount of work: dozens of culverts were built, more than 9 million cubic metres of soil, laid more than 100 km of rail-bars. It should be noted that the work was carried out not only in strictly scheduled terms, but also with significant advance from the original schedule (the initial completion date of construction was 2018).

An important fact was the completion of construction on the next anniversary of the formation of the Railway Troops on August 6, 2017. Thus, the best labor traditions of the Railway Troops were continued - the timely performance of the assigned tasks with the proper quality. The leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry highly appreciated the achieved results. On August 7, 2017, the Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu presented the 39th separate railway brigade with a high state award - the Order of Zhukov.

This is only one of the most striking examples of the current activities of the Railway Troops. The troops are coping with all the assigned tasks without failures, according to plans. No interruptions occur. This is facilitated by a sufficiently high level of professionalism of specialists, good technical equipment and, of course, optimal organization of works, as well as timely delivery of all necessary materials.

The units and subdivisions of the Railway Troops, in the framework of improving the practical preparation for the fulfillment of the assigned tasks, are involved in the repair of unauthorized railway tracks at the facilities of the Ministry of Defense of Russia. The applied special equipment and means of engineering armament allow to minimize the use of manual labor and increase productivity. Personnel in the course of accomplishing tasks master practical skills in working on complex weapons, military and special equipment, as well as mechanized tools.

As for the purchase and supply of modern types of weapons, military and special equipment to the troops within the framework of the state defense order, this is one of the priorities for improving and developing the troops. It should be noted that in recent years the Railway Troops have been intensively rearming, as mentioned above, with the prospect of entering a new innovative look by 2020.