Editing Transcontinental railroad (section)

==Eurasia==
{{Further|Eurasian Land Bridge}}

=== Europe ===

* The first transcontinental railroad in Europe, that connected the [[North Sea]] or the [[English Channel]] with the [[Mediterranean Sea]], was a series of lines that included the [[Paris–Marseille railway]], in service 1856. Multiple railways north of Paris were in operation at that time, such as [[Paris–Lille railway]] and [[Paris–Le Havre railway]].
* The second connection between the seas of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, was a series of lines finalized in 1857 with the [[Austrian Southern Railway]], [[Vienna]]–[[Trieste]]. There were before that railroad connections [[Hamburg]]–[[Berlin]]–[[Wrocław]]–[[Vienna]] (including [[Berlin–Hamburg Railway]], [[Berlin–Wrocław railway]], [[Upper Silesian Railway]] and [[Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway]]). The Baltic Sea was also connected through the [[Lübeck–Lüneburg railway]].

=== Trans-Eurasia ===
*The [[Trans-Siberian Railway]], completed in 1905, was the first network of railways connecting Europe and Asia. It connects [[European Russia|Western Russia]] to the [[Russian Far East]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.lonelyplanet.com/shop_pickandmix/free_chapters/trans-sib-rail-3-getting-started.pdf|title= Lonely Planet Guide to the Trans-Siberian Railway|publisher= Lonely Planet Publications|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905151439/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/shop_pickandmix/free_chapters/trans-sib-rail-3-getting-started.pdf|archive-date= 5 September 2012}}</ref> and is the longest railway line in the world,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Thomas|first1=Bryn|last2=McCrohan|first2=Daniel|author-link2=Daniel McCrohan| title = Trans-Siberian Handbook: The Guide to the World's Longest Railway Journey with 90 Maps and Guides to the Route, Cities and Towns in Russia, Mongolia and China| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PMPPzQEACAAJ| edition = 10| publisher = Trailblazer Publications| date = 2019| isbn = 978-1912716081| access-date = 15 October 2020}}</ref> with a length of over {{convert|9,289|km|abbr= off}}. The railway starts from Russia's capital [[Moscow]], which is the largest city in Europe, and ends at [[Vladivostok]], on the coast of the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Expansion of the railway system continues {{as of|2021|lc=on}},<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-09-08|title=New 8,400 mile train journey will connect London to Tokyo|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/london-tokyo-train-link-8400-mile-route-new-railway-trans-siberian-uk-japan-a7935961.html|access-date=2020-11-11|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-date=2020-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024840/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/london-tokyo-train-link-8400-mile-route-new-railway-trans-siberian-uk-japan-a7935961.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with connecting rails going into Asia, namely [[Mongolia]], [[China]] and [[North Korea]].<ref name="Asia" /> There are also plans to connect [[Tokyo]], the capital of [[Japan]], to the railway.<ref name="Asia">{{Cite web|title=Russia offers a bridge across history to connect Tokyo to the Trans-Siberian railway|url=http://siberiantimes.com/business/investment/news/russia-offers-a-bridge-across-history-to-connect-tokyo-to-the-trans-siberian-railway/|access-date=2020-11-11|website=siberiantimes.com|archive-date=2020-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111223900/https://siberiantimes.com/business/investment/news/russia-offers-a-bridge-across-history-to-connect-tokyo-to-the-trans-siberian-railway/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* A second rail line connects Istanbul in Turkey with [[China]] via [[Iran]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]]. This route imposes a [[break of gauge]] at the Iranian border with Turkmenistan and at the Chinese border. En route there is a [[train ferry]] in eastern Turkey across [[Lake Van]]. The European and Asian parts of Istanbul was linked 2019 linked by the [[Marmaray Tunnel|Marmaray]] [[undersea tunnel]], before that by train ferry. There is no through service of passenger trains on the entire line. A uniform gauge connection was proposed in 2006, commencing with new construction in [[Qazaqstan Temir Zholy|Kazakhstan]]. A decision to make the internal railways of Afghanistan {{RailGauge|1435mm}} gauge potentially opens up a new standard gauge route to China, since China abuts this country.<ref>{{citation |title=[[Railway Gazette International]] |date=October 2010 | page=63 (with map)}}</ref>
* The [[Trans-Asian Railway]] is a project to link [[Singapore]] to [[Istanbul]] and is to a large degree complete with missing pieces primarily in [[Myanmar]]. The project has also linking corridors to [[China]], the central Asian states, and [[Russia]]. This transcontinental line unfortunately uses a number of different gauges, {{RailGauge|1435mm}}, {{RailGauge|1676mm}}, {{RailGauge|1520mm}} and {{RailGauge|1000mm}}, though this problem may be lessened with the use of [[variable gauge axle]] systems such as the [[SUW 2000]].
* The TransKazakhstan Trunk Railways project by [[Kazakhstan Temir Zholy]] will connect [[China]] and Europe with standard gauge {{RailGauge|1435mm}}. Construction is set to start in 2006. Initially the line will go to western [[Kazakhstan]], south through [[Turkmenistan]] to [[Iran]], then to [[Turkey]] and Europe. A shorter to-be-constructed {{RailGauge|1435mm}} link from Kazakhstan is considered going through Russia and either [[Belarus]] or [[Ukraine]].
* The [[Baghdad Railway]] connects Istanbul with Baghdad and finally Basra, a sea port at the Persian Gulf. When its construction started in the 1880s it was in those times a Transcontinental Railroad.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} {{clarify|date=May 2016}}