The Trans-Siberian Railway is approximately 9,289 kilometres long on its main Moscow–Vladivostok route. It is widely described as the world’s longest railway line and crosses Russia from European Russia to the Pacific coast.
Construction began in 1891 under the Russian Empire, and the main route was completed in the early twentieth century. The line passes through major cities including Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita and Khabarovsk. It crosses eight time zones and takes several days to traverse by passenger train.
The figure can vary slightly depending on the exact starting station, route and timetable used. The 9,289-kilometre figure refers to the standard Moscow–Vladivostok main line, not every branch associated with the wider Trans-Siberian rail system. The Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian routes diverge toward China, while the Baikal–Amur Mainline forms a separate northern route.