South Eastern Railway
A Russian Railways regional railway subsidiary operating a major network in southwestern Russia.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
South Eastern Railway, also known in Russian as the Yugo-Vostochnaya Railway, is a regional railway administration and operating division of Russian Railways. Its headquarters are in Voronezh, and its network serves the southwestern part of Russia despite the English name suggesting a more easterly location. The railway’s operating territory includes Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Ryazan, Tambov, Lipetsk, and Penza oblasts. Through these regions it supports passenger and freight connections between central Russia, the Black Earth agricultural zone, the Volga area, southern Russia, and neighboring railway administrations. The network has roots in private railway construction during the late nineteenth century. Its early development was associated with the Moscow–Ryazan Railway Association, a private enterprise established by Paul von Derwies and Karl Otto Georg von Meck. The first section opened in 1866 between Ryazan and the area now served by Michurinsk. Expansion followed toward Voronezh, Tsaritsyn, Saratov, and Rostov-on-Don, with major routes progressively linking the central Russian rail system to the south and southeast. The Balashov–Kharkov line was completed in 1890, adding an important east-west connection. Following the Russian Revolution, the railway companies and infrastructure were nationalized by the Bolshevik government. The network subsequently became part of the Soviet state railway system and was reorganized several times as administrative boundaries and railway operating structures changed. In 1987, a section in Rostov Oblast between Chertkovo and Zverevo was transferred to the North Caucasus Railway, altering the boundary between the two administrations. A significant strategic issue emerged from a 37-kilometre section between Chertkovo and Gartmashevka that crossed into Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast. Russian Railways operated the infrastructure under a lease arrangement, but the cross-border section created operational, political, and logistical vulnerabilities. To eliminate this dependency, construction of a new bypass entirely within Russia began in 2015. The Zhuravka–Millerovo route entered service in August 2017. The new alignment is a 122.5-kilometre double-track electrified railway designed for speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour. On 11 December 2017, Russian Railways redirected long-distance trains to the bypass, removing the need for those services to use the Ukrainian section. In 1991, the railway’s route length was reported as approximately 3,648 kilometres, with 257 stations and 13 locomotive depots. As a Russian Railways subsidiary, South Eastern Railway is not primarily a consumer-facing brand. Its role is to manage railway infrastructure and operations, coordinate train movements, maintain track and traction assets, and provide the regional platform for passenger and freight services. Its contemporary importance derives from its location at the junction of central, southern, and southeastern Russian transport corridors, as well as its role in maintaining an internally continuous route after the 2017 bypass project.
History
The South Eastern Railway developed from private railway enterprises established in the Russian Empire during the expansion of the national rail network in the second half of the nineteenth century. One important predecessor was the Moscow–Ryazan Railway Association, created by Paul von Derwies and Karl Otto Georg von Meck. Its first line opened in 1866 between Ryazan and Michurinsk. Further construction extended the network toward Voronezh, Tsaritsyn, Saratov, and Rostov-on-Don by 1871, helping connect the central Russian railway system with southern and southeastern regions. The Balashov–Kharkov line was completed in 1890. The railway companies were nationalized after the Russian Revolution and incorporated into the Soviet state railway system. During the Soviet period, the network was administered as part of a broader system whose boundaries and names changed over time. In 1987, the section between Chertkovo and Zverevo in Rostov Oblast was reassigned to the North Caucasus Railway. This change created a revised operating boundary and left the South Eastern Railway connected to the neighboring administration near Chertkovo. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, one section of the railway became operationally sensitive because approximately 37 kilometres between Chertkovo and Gartmashevka passed through Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast. Russian Railways used the infrastructure under a lease arrangement involving a local Ukrainian authority. The arrangement permitted continued railway operations but meant that parts of the Russian railway route depended on infrastructure located outside Russia. To remove this cross-border dependency, construction began in 2015 on a new railway running from Zhuravka in Voronezh Oblast to Millerovo, where it connected with the North Caucasus Railway. The bypass, which became operational in August 2017, is 122.5 kilometres long, double-tracked, electrified at 25 kV and 50 Hz, and designed for maximum speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour. On 11 December 2017, Russian Railways transferred long-distance trains to the new line. The change allowed those services to avoid the Ukrainian section and established a continuous route within Russia. The South Eastern Railway is headquartered in Voronezh and currently operates across seven Russian regions: Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Ryazan, Tambov, Lipetsk, and Penza. A 1991 description recorded a network of 3,648 kilometres, 257 stations, and 13 locomotive depots. Today it functions as a regional division of Russian Railways, combining infrastructure administration, train operations, station management, locomotive services, and support for passenger and freight traffic. Its historical development reflects the broader transformation of Russian railways from private imperial-era companies into a centralized Soviet system and, later, regional operating divisions within Russian Railways.
- 2017
Zhuravka–Millerovo bypass becomes operational
[1]The new 122.5-kilometre double-track electrified route enters service.
- 2015
Construction of the Zhuravka–Millerovo bypass begins
[1]Work starts on a route entirely within Russia to replace the railway section crossing Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast.
- 1991
Network scale recorded
[1]The railway is described as having 3,648 kilometres of route, 257 stations, and 13 locomotive depots.
- 1987
Boundary with the North Caucasus Railway changes
[1]The Chertkovo–Zverevo section in Rostov Oblast is transferred from the South Eastern Railway to the North Caucasus Railway.
- 1917
Railway assets nationalized
[1]Following the Russian Revolution, the railway companies are nationalized by the Bolshevik government.
- 1890
Balashov–Kharkov line completed
[1]Completion of the Balashov–Kharkov line strengthens the railway’s east-west role.
- 1871
Early expansion reaches major southern and southeastern corridors
[1]The developing network is extended toward Voronezh, Tsaritsyn, Saratov, and Rostov-on-Don.
- 1866
First predecessor line opens
[1]The first line associated with the Moscow–Ryazan Railway Association opens between Ryazan and Michurinsk.
Products and positioning
A regional infrastructure and railway operations division of Russian Railways, positioned as a strategic connector between central Russia, the Black Earth region, the Volga area, and southern Russia.
Passenger transportation
Passenger rail services
South Eastern Railway provides the regional operating infrastructure for passenger trains across its territory. Its network supports local and long-distance services connecting Voronezh and other regional centers with central Russia, the Volga area, and southern railway corridors. The railway administration coordinates routes, stations, dispatching, traction, and infrastructure availability rather than marketing a standalone consumer product.
Freight transportation
Freight rail services
The railway network supports movement of industrial, agricultural, and other bulk and general cargo across southwestern Russia. Freight activity benefits from connections among the Central Federal District, the Black Earth region, the Volga area, and southern Russia. Specific commodity volumes and service-level financial data are not established in the supplied reference material.
Railway infrastructure
Railway infrastructure and dispatching
The core institutional offering is management of railway infrastructure, including track, stations, signaling, electrification, locomotive facilities, and traffic control. The South Eastern Railway administers a regional network within the Russian Railways system and coordinates access for passenger and freight trains.
Railway route · 2017
Zhuravka–Millerovo bypass
This 122.5-kilometre route was built to avoid the section of railway passing through Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast. It is double-tracked, electrified at 25 kV and 50 Hz, and designed for speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour. It became the route used by long-distance trains after the December 2017 operational transfer.
Brand decisions
2017
Transfer long-distance trains to the new bypassStrategyBackground
The Zhuravka–Millerovo line entered service as an alternative to the route through Ukraine.
Action taken
On 11 December 2017, Russian Railways redirected all long-distance trains to the bypass.
Aftermath
Long-distance rail operations could proceed without using the Ukrainian section, and the South Eastern Railway gained an internally continuous route to its connection with the North Caucasus Railway.
2015
Build an all-Russian bypass around the Ukrainian sectionStrategyBackground
A section of the operating network between Chertkovo and Gartmashevka crossed through Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast, creating reliance on leased infrastructure outside Russia.
Action taken
Russian railway authorities began construction of a new route from Zhuravka to Millerovo that remained entirely within Russian territory.
Aftermath
The bypass opened in 2017 and removed the cross-border section from the route used by long-distance trains.
Sources2 sources
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