Eastern European Railways in Transition: Nineteenth to Twenty-first Centuries

ISBN-13: 9781409427827 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 432 str.

Ralf Roth;Henry Jacolin

Opis

During the nineteenth century, railway lines spread rapidly across Europe, linking the continent in ways unimaginable to previous generations. By the beginning of the twentieth century the great cities of the continent were linked by a complex and extensive rail network. Yet this high-point of interconnectivity, was abruptly cut-off after 1945, as the Cold War built barriers - both physical and ideological - between east and west. In this volume, leading transport history scholars take a fresh look at this situation, and the ramifications it had for Europe. As well as addressing the parallel development of railways either side of the Iron Curtain, the book looks at how transport links have been reconnected and reconfigured in the twenty years since the reunification of Europe. In particular, it focuses upon the former communist countries and how they have responded to the challenges and opportunities railways offer both nationally and internationally. Including contributions from historians, researchers, policy makers, representatives of railway companies and railway museum staff, the essays in this collection touch upon a rich range of subjects. Divided into four sections: 'The Historical Overview', 'Under Russian Protection', After the Fall of the Iron Curtain, and 'The Heritage of Railways in Eastern Europe' the volume offers a broadly chronological introduction to the issue, that provides both a snap-shot of current debates and a starting point for further research. It concludes that in an era of increased globalisation and interconnectivity - and despite the rise of air and road transport and virtual methods of communication - railways still have a crucial role to play in the development of a prosperous and connected Europe.

Recenzje

'For the British reader, it offers a totally different perspective on why railways were built and the impact of political change. War, revolution and the redrawing of national boundaries had frequent and often drastic impact on networks built for strategic purposes that then vanished, or for internal transport then bisected by a new border.' Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society '... throughout, the volume offers stimulation and reflection for both specialist and generalist reader.' Journal of Transport Geography

Spis treści

Introduction: Eastern European Railways in Transition Part I: General Suggestions and Historical Overviews of Railways in Eastern European Countries 1 The Baltic States – Railways under Many Masters 2 The Construction and Modernisation of Railways in Belorussia/Belarus in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries 3 Serbia’s Access to the Sea, 1830–2006 4 The History of Railway Passenger Transportation in Hungary – From the Monarchy to the Twenty-First Century 5 Czech Military Railways – History and a Comparative Analysis of the Czech Railway Network’s Efficiency 6 The Royal Prussian Eastern Railway (Ostbahn) and its Importance for East–West Transportation Eastern European Railways in Transition Part II: Under Russian Protection 7 1918, 1945 and 1989: Three Turning Points in the History of Polish Railways in the Twentieth Century 8 Transport under Socialism: The Case of the Czechoslovak State Railways 1948–1989 9 The Modernisation of Railways in Slovakia after 1945 10 The Centrally Planned Economy and Railways in Hungary 11 The Railways of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic: 1920–1990 12 Yugoslavia: The Sub-Savian Magistral 13 Passengers’ Railway Identity in Socialist Romania during the 1950s and 1960s 14 Cold War Crisis on the Railway: Construction of the Berlin Wall Part III: After the Fall of the Iron Curtain: Changes – Problems – Modernisation15 Railway Integration in Europe: UIC – a Key Player of East–West Railway Integration 16 Back to the Future? Russia’s Railway Transport and the Collapse of the Soviet Union in Historical Perspective 17 The Unification of East and West German Railways into the Deutsche Bahn 18 Seen from the Driving Cab: The Consequences of German Railway’s Privatisation since the Reunion of Deutsche Bundesbahn and Reichsbahn from the Engine Drivers’ Perspective 19 The Reopening of Murska Sobota–Zalalöv? Railway: A Paradox of the European Reunification in Central Europe? 20 ‘More is Less’: Regular Interval Timetable in Central Eastern Europe 21 Railway Heritage Protection Policy in Hungary 22 The Heritage of the Deutsche Reichsbahn and its Presentation in the Deutsche Bahn Museum in Nuremberg

O autorze

Henry Jacolin, Ralf Roth