Editing Trans-Siberian Railway (section)

===Post World War II===
[[File:Gare de Omsk (4871704288).jpg|thumb|The Trans-Siberian is a vital link to the [[Russian Far East]].]]

A trainload of containers can be taken from Beijing to [[Hamburg]], via the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian lines in as little as 15 days, but typical cargo transit times are usually significantly longer<ref>{{Cite news |last=Donahue |first=Patrick |date=24 January 2008 |title=China-to-Germany Cargo Train Completes Trial Run in 15 Days |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aqUyRa4wf95g&refer=germany}}</ref> and typical cargo transit time from Japan to major destinations in European Russia was reported as around 25 days.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kachi |first=Hiroyuki |date=20 July 2007 |title=Mitsui talking to Russian railway operator on trans-Siberian freight service |work=MarketWatch.com |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mitsui-talking-to-russian-railway-operator-on-trans-siberian-freight-service}}</ref>

According to a 2009 report, the best travel times for cargo [[block train]]s from Russia's Pacific ports to the western border (of Russia, or perhaps of [[Belarus]]) were around 12 days, with trains making around {{convert|900|km|0|abbr=on}} per day, at a maximum operating speed of {{convert|80|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. In early 2009; however, Russian Railways announced an ambitious "Trans-Siberian in Seven Days" plan. According to this plan, $11 billion will be invested over the next five years to make it possible for goods traffic to cover the same {{convert|9000|km|0|abbr=on}} distance in just seven days. The plan will involve increasing the cargo trains' speed to {{convert|90|km/h|0|abbr=on}} in 2010–2012, and, at least on some sections, to {{convert|100|km/h|0|abbr=on}} by 2015. At these speeds, goods trains will be able to cover {{convert|1500|km|0|abbr=on}} per day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2009 |title=Trans-Siberian in seven days |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/trans-siberian-in-seven-days.html |website=[[Railway Gazette International]]}}</ref>

==== Crime ====

From February to May 1993, a number of [[Beijing]]-based gangs routinely robbed, beat, and raped railway passengers.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 October 1993 |title=Chinese, Russian police nab Trans-Siberian 'great train robbers' |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/10/20/Chinese-Russian-police-nab-Trans-Siberian-great-train-robbers/4361751089600/}}</ref>
The criminals took advantage of the fact that Chinese police disembarked the train before the border crossing into Mongolia, but no Mongolian police ever boarded to replace them, and Russian authorities did not board until the train had been in Siberia for an entire day. During the interim, there was no effective security on the trains, and no practical resistance to criminals armed with knives, sticks, and cattle prods.<ref>{{cite news |date=12 December 2021 |title=In 1993, when a Chinese-Russian train was looted and raped by bandits for several days, the central authorities issued an instruction: cross-border pursuit |url=https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/18tbu_1a33c.html}}</ref>