Ufa Rail Bridge

Ufa rail bridge carries double tracked rail lines over the River Belaya. It is located at Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.^[1]

Constr

Ufa Rail Bridge
Coordinates	54.7182°N 55.9079°E / 54.7182; 55.9079
Carries	Originally single track it was later widened to double track.
Crosses	Belaya river
Locale	Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia
Characteristics
Material	Steel, reinforced concrete, stone
Total length	655.5 m (2,151 ft)
No. of spans	6х109.25 m (358.4 ft)
History
Designer	Nikolai Belelubsky
Construction start	1886
Construction end	1888
Opened	September 8, 1888
Location

The Bridge over the Belaya River

The Belaya River bridge was constructed as part of the Trans-Siberian Railway project between 1886 and 1888, alongside other vital spans like the three-span bridge over the Ufa River. The structure provided a permanent rail crossing for trains heading toward Ufa and paved the way for the line’s extension eastward, reaching Chelyabinsk by 1892.^[2][3]

Design Philosophy and Materials

The structure was built according to the design of Nikolai Belelubsky, a distinguished Russian engineer and professor at St. Petersburg State Transport University. Vladimir Berezin served as the chief engineer, with geodetic support provided by Nikolai Boguslavsky. By the time of the design, Belelubsky had accumulated two decades of experience in bridge construction and was known for pushing the boundaries of progressive railway engineering.

Belelubsky’s most significant contribution was the "free-moving deck," also known as the "Russian system." This innovation allowed the roadway (or railway) of a bridge to expand and contract independently of the main truss, addressing critical challenges related to thermal expansion and structural stress in long-span bridges.^[4]

This system incorporated a sliding mechanism between the deck and the truss, enabling free movement of the roadway while maintaining the stability of the main structure. Essentially, each end of the beam rests on a pivoting support, allowing for slight rotation under thermal expansion or load, automatically relieving stress and preventing structural failure.

This innovation:

• Prevented stress accumulation by accommodating thermal expansion.
• Improved durability by reducing wear on fixed connections.
• Enhanced load distribution, making long-span bridges safer and more efficient.

Recognition and Impact

This design was regarded as progressive because it reduced additional stresses in the truss members. At the 1896 Edinburgh International Exhibition, this construction received a Gold Medal and later entered worldwide bridge‑building practice as the "Russian system."^[5]

Technical Norms of 1884

The Belaya River bridge was built to the Technical Regulations for Railway Bridges (1884), which prescribed limits on axle loads, span lengths, and material quality.

Steel over Welded Iron

Although bridge construction at the time depended heavily on welded iron joints, Belelubsky's load tests proved cast steel's superior strength-to-weight ratio and fatigue resistance over welded iron in bridge construction. He advocated prefabricated steel components for reduced on-site labor and improved dimensional accuracy, despite resistance from government ministries concerned about supply chain disruption and retooling costs. His persistence led to the adoption of standardized steel profiles, transforming Russian construction and setting a precedent that would echo throughout the coming century. All steel was fabricated at the Votkinsk Plant.

Early Adoption of Reinforced Concrete

Recognising the potential of reinforced concrete—still an embryonic material in the 1880s—Belelubsky advocated its use for abutments and ancillary structures, forecasting a central role for concrete in future bridgework.

The Belaya River Bridge, 1915

Structural Layout

The bridge consists of six identical spans, each 109.25 m long, resting on massive masonry piers. In the superstructure, Beleleubsky employed semi‑parabolic trusses that feature a vertical support column and a single, curved lower chord, arranged within a double‑braced lattice system. This double‑braced configuration delivers high rigidity, shortens the length of each truss panel, and reduces the overall weight of the bridge components. The vertical column simplifies the bearing assembly and the support frame, making it easier to connect the transverse bearing beams to the trusses.

The Opening Ceremony

Inauguration

On 8 September 1888, Admiral K.P. Posyet, Minister of Railways, ceremonially cut a silk ribbon strung between the trusses. The inaugural train rolled onto the bridge and proceeded to the newly opened Ufa railway station. The brand‑new bridge welcomed pedestrians on its very first day, its side decks clearly separating foot traffic from the railway below, but later restricted access due to safety and operational concerns following a trial period.

War Damage and Emergency Reconstruction (1919)

During the Russian Civil War, the sixth span was deliberately demolished by the White Army under Kolchak’s command. The 6 105‑pood (≈ 100 t) steel truss was partially displaced, with one end falling into the river while its southern end remained perched on the pier, rendering the structure unusable.

Visual Testimony of the Collapse, June 1919

Two‑Stage Restoration

• Temporary Bypass (June 1919) – Engineers erected a detour bridge by jack‑lifting the surviving portion of the original truss. A 23‑m (75‑ft) temporary span and a 25‑m (82‑ft) approach viaduct were installed. Trains began using the temporary structure ahead of schedule, earning commendation from the national leadership. The first acknowledgment came in a telegram from Vladimir Lenin dated 10 October 1919, addressed to the bridge‑building crew.

• Permanent Replacement (October 1919) – When the temporary bridge was removed, a new permanent span—designed by Professor Lavr Proskuryakov according to the Technical Regulations for Railway Bridges (1907)—was set in place. The design prioritized the shortest possible interruption to rail traffic. In just seven hours, winches shifted the temporary spans onto their own supports. Then, within 3 hours 45 minutes, winches lifted the new permanent truss onto the piers.

Operational Restrictions (Interwar Period)

Among the archives of the Ufa railway division, a seemingly unremarkable 1928 bridge-inspection card contains a strikingly detailed set of operational restrictions. It states:

“The passage of any train equipped with a pair of E-type locomotives—along with any train containing American-style half-wagons—is prohibited on this bridge. When a single E-type locomotive is allowed to cross, the speed must not exceed 8 km/h (5 mph).”

For comparison, the axial line load (load per metre of bridge span) of an E-type steam locomotive on an 110 m bridge is 6.94 tonnes per metre (t/m). In contrast, a modern VL10 electric locomotive exerts 6.09 t/m.

Note:

• The 1928 card specifies that double-engine E-type trains were explicitly limited, suggesting the bridge's capacity was insufficient for a combined line load exceeding ~13 t/m (roughly 2 x 6.94 t/m).
• American half-wagons, or gondolas, were banned because their axle load (around 9–10 tonnes per axle, or ≈7.8 tonnes per meter on an 110-meter span) exceeded the bridge's permissible load limit of 6.94 tonnes per meter for Series E locomotives (modern VL10u = 6.09 tonnes/meter). To transport such cargo, operators had to either transfer it to lighter, locally built wagons or split it into smaller loads that met the bridge’s restrictions.

Subsequent Strengthening Campaigns

The bridge was repeatedly reinforced and rebuilt throughout the twentieth century to handle growing traffic. Between 1937 and 1939, its spans were strengthened for larger locomotives by jacking apart the trusses' chords and welding in heavier vertical posts and braces, adding metal equivalent to 4% of the spans' weight.

Between 1949 and 1951, Construction Train No. 417—a mobile engineering unit—carried out reconstruction work on the bridge. The team erected new reinforced-concrete pylons for the second track on the original cutwater footings and mounted a new superstructure featuring standardized trusses designed to meet the latest Soviet specifications (N-7 load class), as outlined by ProektStalKonstruktsiya in 1943. This standard is equivalent to the North American E-70 and closely aligns with the European UIC 71 loading model, allowing for an axle load of approximately 30 tonnes.

Between 1991 and 2001, the bridge was modernized, with OJSC TransStroyMost replacing the original 1888 spans with new structures meeting the Russian S-14 load class. This allows high-speed freight and intermodal rail traffic, aligning with North American Cooper E-80 (≈32.5-tonne axle load) and European LM2 specifications.^[6]

The Bridge over the Ufa River

The double‑track railway bridge spanning the Ufa River near Shaksha Station is a striking three‑span structure, each span measuring 109 m. Designed by the eminent engineer Nikolai Belelubsky, it follows the 1884 construction standards and closely mirrors its counterpart over the Belaya River.

A photograph of the bridge across the Ufa river in the early 20th century

On June 9, 1919, during the Civil War's Ufa Operation, Kolchak's White Army forces sabotaged the third span of a bridge as they retreated. The explosion was triggered by artillery fire targeting railcars loaded with explosives on the span.

Reconstruction occurred in two stages: first, temporary wooden spans were installed, followed by a full repair in 1920. The new span was designed by Professor Lavr Proskouriakov to the Technical Regulations for Railway Bridges (1907).^[7]

In 1939–1940, the bridge spans were reinforced to support larger locomotives. Modifications, such as adding metal reinforcements, increased the spans' weight by up to 4%, meeting clearance standards.

In 1951–1952, Construction Train No. 414 rebuilt the bridge, erecting reinforced-concrete pylons on the original cutwater footings and installing new spans for the second track in adherence to Giprotrans’ 1931 N-7 load class standard.

Between December 2001 and 2002, the bridge underwent major upgrades. All pre-revolutionary spans were replaced with modern equivalents from OJSC USK MOST, designed to meet the S-14 load class standard.^[8]

Interesting facts

• In 1888 only a handful of Ufa residents knew that an artificial channel was being dug for the Dema River. Starting about 100 metres downstream of the present highway bridge near the “Golden Fish” café, the cut was made directly toward the Belaya River to avoid building a second railway bridge over the Dema. Historically, the Dema joined the Belaya several kilometres downstream, forming a broad, shallow waterway that often turned into a ford. The artificial channel therefore reshaped the local hydrography, turning what was then an island—now the settlement of Kozorez—into part of the main river course.

• In 1910, Sergey Prokudin‑Gorsky captured the first color photographs of the bridge using his pioneering three‑color technique. He exposed a single glass plate three times, each through a different filter—first blue, then green, and finally red. When the three monochrome images were later projected together, they reconstructed the scene in vivid, natural color, marking a milestone in photographic history.^[9][10]

• Just downstream of the bridge, a small island drifts in the Belaya River, reshaping itself each year. In summer, it extends a narrow stretch toward the right bank, transforming into a temporary peninsula that locals cross at low tide. Its existence is a quirk of history: in the early 1900s, two barges overloaded with sacks of bread capsized here. Their hulks settled on the riverbed, forming a sturdy framework that trapped sediments. Over decades, the river deposited sand, silt, and vegetation around the wreckage, gradually raising the spot above the waterline—turning a tragic mishap into a living, ever-changing landform.

See also

• Nikolai Belelubsky
• Lavr Proskuryakov
• Trans-Siberian Railway