General State of Rail Transport in Southern Russia on the Eve of and during the World War I (1914 – February 1917)

Based on a wide range of historical sources (archival data, departmental periodicals, and specialists’ reports), examines the potential of the southern Russian railway network during the country’s entry into World War I and the need to complicate transport operations to meet the needs of the army and the rear. The article primarily characterizes the functional capabilities of the Southwestern, Southern, and Yekaterininskaya Railways: their total length, rolling stock, fuel, and lubricants during the First World War (before the February Revolution). The above facts indicate that the railway transport system in southern Russia has been generally successful, although there has been an increase in the use of rolling stock and an increase in the fuel requirements of the railways, which has led to the conservation of available resources during the war years.