Final answer:
The Trans-Siberian Railway, started in 1891 and completed in 1903, connected Moscow to Vladivostok, marking Russia's industrial expansion and enabling resource exploitation more efficiently.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 1891 Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway, initiated in 1891, represents a significant advancement in Russian infrastructure, transforming travel and trade by connecting Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. Its completion in 1903 enabled Russia to access its vast interior resources, such as iron, wood, and coal, more efficiently. The construction effort followed Russia's push for modernization post-Crimean War and abolition of serfdom in 1861, providing workers for industrial endeavors. Russia's railway system expanded from under a thousand miles of track at the end of the Crimean War to about thirty-six thousand miles by 1900, underlining the importance of railroads in stimulating economic growth and industrialization. This railway project during Minister of Finance Sergei Witte's tenure marked Russia's late but significant entrance into the industrialized world.
In comparison, the United States had completed its Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, linking the country coast to coast and transforming travel to the western states from months to merely a week. By 1890, the US had about 180,000 miles of railroads, indicating the extensive development and use of railroads in changing the economic and social landscape.