Kirov Railway

Railway between Murmansk on the Arctic Ocean and Saint Petersburg on the Baltic Sea

Kirov Railway (Russian: Кировская железная дорога, Kirovskaya zheleznaya doroga, to 1935 Murman Railway) is a 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) broad gauge Russian railway network that links the Murman Coast and Murmansk city (in the north) and Saint Petersburg (in the south). The railway is operated by the Arktika passenger train, see List of named passenger trains of Russia.

It has always been of vital military importance because of Murmansk being an ice-free port on the Arctic Sea.

The northern part between Petrozavodsk and Kola was built in 1915-17, due to a lack of workers under assignment of an increasing number of German war prisoners.

The total distance between Saint Petersburg and Murmansk is 1,448 km, the part between Petrozavodsk and Kola has a length of 1,054 km. It has 52 stations.

The railway was electrified in 2005.

See also

• Murmansk–Nikel Railway