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Freight train derailed in Russia's far east

by Martin Fornusek January 9, 2024 10:18 AM 2 min read
A train runs on the Transbaikal Railway Railway in Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, on Aug. 11, 2019. (Illustrative purposes only) (Andrew Surma/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

In Russia's far east, 14 freight train cars were derailed on Jan. 8 on the Aleur-Bushuley section of the Transbaikal Railway, according to the Russian Railways' Telegram channel.

No casualties or environmental damage were reported. The causes of the derailment are being determined.

A number of earlier railway incidents were linked to Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukrainian media claimed in late November and early December that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out two sabotages on the Baikal-Amur railway in Russia's Buryatia Republic.

The Jan. 8 incident reportedly took place at 7:17 p.m. Moscow time. The initial announcement said that 27 train cars were derailed, though the number was later updated to 14.

Adjacent tracks were damaged, and four trains going between Chita and Blagoveshchensk and between Moscow and Vladivostok were delayed, the Russian Railways said.

Alternative modes of transport are being organized for stranded passengers.

The Aleur-Bushuley lies in Zabaykalsky Krai, a region over 4,500 kilometers east of Moscow on Russia's borders with China and Mongolia.

The Transbaikal Railway is a section of the larger Trans-Siberian route, a key link between European Russia and the country's far-eastern regions. It is part of a larger network that also connects to Mongolia, China, and North Korea.

Media: SBU blows up another train in Russia’s far east
This was allegedly the second stage of an SBU operation to disable the Baikal-Amur railway line. This key railway route, crucial for Russian military logistics, runs north of the Trans-Siberian railway and is part of a network of tracks connecting Russia with China.

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