Southwestern Railways

{{short description|State-owned railway company in Ukraine}} {{about|the Southwestern Railways in [[Ukraine]]|the [[UK]] company|South Western Railway|other uses|South Western Railway (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox rail |railroad_name = ''{{lang|uk-Latn|Southwestern Railways}}''<br> Південно-Західна залізниця |logo_filename = Південно-Західна залізниця.png |logo_size = |system_map = Ukrainian Railways (subdivisions).png |map_caption = Subdivisions of Ukrainian Railways |map_size = 250px |marks = |image = |image_size = 250px |image_caption = |locale = [[Central Ukraine]], [[North Ukraine]] |start_year = 1870 |end_year = present |predecessor_line = Southwestern Railways (Soviet Union) |successor_line = |length = {{Convert|4668|km|mi|-1|abbr=on|lk=on}} |gauge = {{RailGauge|1520mm}} |old_gauge = |hq_city = [[Kyiv]] |website = http://www.swrailway.gov.ua }} [[File:1870s Most Struve Kiev 01.jpg|thumb|[[Struve Railroad Bridge]]]] '''Southwestern Railways''' (PZZ), ({{langx|uk|Південно-Західна залізниця}}) headquartered in [[Kyiv]], the capital of [[Ukraine]], is a component part of the [[Ukrainian Railways|Ukrzaliznytsia]] company, its regional branch.

It is named "Southwestern" because it is Southwest of [[Moscow]], despite being in the Northern part of Ukraine. In February 2025, the Commission of the [[Ukrainian Institute of National Memory]] Noted that "Southwestern" and "Southern Railways" names are propaganda for Russian imperial policy and violate [[On the Condemnation and Prohibition of Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and the Decolonization of Toponymy|the law]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Назви Південно-Західна і Південна залізниці є пропагандою російської імперської політики - УІНП |url=https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1046763.html |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Інтерфакс-Україна |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=УІНП |title="Південно-Західна залізниця" та "Південна залізниця" |url=https://uinp.gov.ua/dekomunizaciya-ta-reabilitaciya/ekspertna-komisiya-uinp/fahovi-vysnovky-ekspertnoyi-komisiyi/pivdenno-zahidna-zaliznycya-ta-pivdenna-zaliznycya |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=УІНП |language=uk}}</ref>

==Structure== As of 2008, SWR's rail system included {{convert|4668|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of track, of which 93,3% were electrified.

The SWR consists of five sections (directions) named after the cities of their administration seat * [[Kyiv]] * [[Koziatyn]] * [[Zhmerynka]] * [[Korosten]] * [[Konotop]].

The above mentioned directions administrative seats beside regular train stations have also [[Motive power depot|locomotive]] and [[railcar]] depots. In addition such depots also are located in [[Shepetivka]], [[Darnytsia railway station|Darnytsia]] (left-bank Kyiv), [[Bakhmach]], [[Vorozhba]], [[Hrechany]] (neighborhood of [[Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine|Khemlnytskyi]]), and [[Snovsk]] (formerly Shchors).

There are 315 railway stations in the SWR system.

Its territory borders [[Belarusian Railway]] to the north in [[Belarus]], [[Moscow Railway]] to the north and north-east in [[Russia]], [[Calea Ferată din Moldova]] to the south-west in [[Moldova]], and three Ukrainian territorial branches of [[Ukrainian Railways]], [[Lviv Railways]] to the west, [[Southern Railways (Ukraine)|Southern Railways]] to the east, and [[Odesa Railways]] to the south.

The [[Chernihiv–Ovruch railway]] that passes [[Chernobyl Power Plant]] and has restricted use also passes across the territory of neighboring [[Belarus]].

==History== {{See also|Odesa Railways}} The first railway to be built in the Ukrainian part of the [[Russian Empire]] was a track from [[Odesa]] to [[Balta, Ukraine|Balta]]. It was {{convert|213|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} in length and was built in 1865. This railroad connected the agricultural regions of the northern part of today's [[Odesa Oblast]] with [[Odesa]], a seaport on the [[Black Sea]] coast.

The direct predecessor of Southwestern Railways was Kyiv–Balta railways that, in 1870, linked Kyiv with Odesa Railways through Balta. Just before that, in 1868 in [[Kyiv]] began construction of an important piece of infrastructure, the [[Struve Railroad Bridge]], which, in 1870, connected both banks of the city over [[Dnieper]]. That year, Kyiv was also connected to the rest of the Russian Empire's railroad system by a track from Kyiv to [[Kursk]] with Kursk – Kyiv branch. The history of the SWR began on 7 June 1870, when the construction of these railroads was launched and making it the third oldest railway system in Ukraine after Lviv and Odesa. The [[Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station]], the main railway station of the SWR and the [[Ukrzaliznytsia]] was also built in that year.

Between 1871 and 1876, lines from [[Zhmerynka]] to [[Volochysk]] and from [[Berdychiv]] to [[Shepetivka]] were added, and between 1890 and 1897, the lines from [[Zhmerynka]] to [[Mohyliv-Podilskyi]], [[Koziatyn]] to [[Uman]], [[Khrystynivka]] to [[Shpola]] and [[Berdychiv]] to [[Zhytomyr]]; 1897 was also the year when the [[Fastiv]] Railways were added to the SWR. [[Volyn]] Railways were brought into the SWR in 1902, the same year that the line from Kyiv to [[Korosten]] was built. By the beginning of [[World War I]], the total length of the SWR system was {{convert|3096|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}.

===Directors=== Among the most notable directors of Southwestern Railways was [[Sergei Witte]], who later became the [[Prime Minister of Russia]].

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Portal|Railways}} * [http://www.uz.gov.ua/?m=all.road.southwest&lng=uk Ukrzaliznytsia official site] * [http://www.swrailway.gov.ua SWR official site]

[[Category:Southwestern Railways| ]] [[Category:Railway companies of Ukraine]] [[Category:Companies based in Kyiv]] [[Category:Rail transport in Kyiv]]