Soviet Railways to Russian Railways

In the postsoviet decade Russian railways remained highly centralised, evaded the upheavals of mass privatisation, and remained the backbone of a demoralised economy. Preserving much of Soviet practice, the Railways Ministry mounted a skilled rearguard action that achieved a gradual and considered adaptation to the market economy rather than the pell-mell, western-orientated, liberalisation that afflicted other branches of the economy. This book describes that rearguard action, and goes on to show how railway managers are coping with the new conditions.

'...the book offers an informative window into economic developments in post-Soviet Russia.' - The Russian Review 'Westwood is extremely knowledgeable about both railroading and Russia...an informative window into economic developments in post-Soviet Russia.' - Henry Reichman, Russian Review

J. N. WESTWOOD is Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham. He was an economist with Canadian National Railways before changing to an academic career in Russian studies. He is author of A History of Russian Railways, Soviet Railways Today, Soviet Locomotive Technology and Endurance and Endeavour: Russian History 1812-1992.