European Railroad Discussion > NY Times article on Ukraine Railway’s role in the war

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/magazine/ukraine-trains.html?    Long article, but very interesting with lots of great photos.

Dave

That is a great in-depth article, thanks for sharing!

Excellent article, thanks for the link.

As many of us know, history tells us that railroads have always been a very important link in war time. I wonder with the problems our U.S. Railroads have today, whether they could step up to the plate and handle tonnage in a WWIII, for example. Perhaps the government would have to step in. But IIRC, historians tell us, that for the most part, U.S. Railroads under government control during WWI was not a sucess, but it worked much better during WWII.

Victor B.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As many of us know, history tells us that
> railroads have always been a very important link
> in war time. I wonder with the problems our U.S.
> Railroads have today, whether they could step up
> to the plate and handle tonnage in a WWIII, for
> example. Perhaps the government would have to step
> in. But IIRC, historians tell us, that for the
> most part, U.S. Railroads under government control
> during WWI was not a sucess, but it worked much
> better during WWII.
>
> Victor B.

One question would be: what kind of war would the US fight today?  Marines storming atolls in the Pacific, or Army Rangers in armored vehicles in mountainous desert terrain?  Or World War 2 style battles with tanks versus highly mobile ground troops / drones, etc

Or World War 3 battles with North Korea decimating Honolulu, Tokyo, and Seoul, and the US decimating North Korea?  Over in an hour?

But it always seems to go back to boots on the ground  plus air and sea. No one wants to use nuclear.

Victor B.

Amazing bravery by the Ukrainian railroad workers! I found it interesting that the railway system is overbuilt and overstaffed, by western standards. That redundancy has helped the system survive being targeted by the Russians.
 

Thanks for sharing this excellent story.

Not mentioned is the fact that the railways lost thousands of their people who took up military service.

The latest in this incredible story is that days ago a train carrying 80 diplomats from 20 countries made a successful trip from Kyiv to Kherson and back!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/22 18:58 by Bondibluey.