The Railway Troops's history begins since August 6, 1851, when Nikholay 1 approved the “Regulations on management of Saint Petersburg-Moscow railway”, according to which 14 separate military-worker’s, two conductor’s and one "telegraph" companies were to be formed for its protection and exploitation.

Military railwaymen took their baptism of fire during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878.

The Russо-Japanese war of 1904-1905 was an important event for Russia Railway Troops. She convincingly demonstrated the decisive influence of railways both on the course of armed struggle and the outcome of the war in general.

During the First World War military railroad workers had to perform a variety of work: altering the West-European gauge; producing protective work; building broad-gauge railways, reconstructing roads to increase their capacity; rebuilding narrow gauge railways to broad gauge, developing sites and stations in supply stations, providing technical assistance to the rear rails to repair the permanent ways and rolling stock. Railway Troops had built the armored train, which played a prominent role during the war.

As a result of fundamental changes in the political life of the country on January 27, 1918 All Railway Troops of the Russian army were disbanded by decision of the All-Russia Central Executive Commitee. However, the Civil War quickly revealed the urgent need to rebuild the military railway units. Therefore, in accordance with the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic № 41 of  October 5, 1918 16 railway companies were formed in a matter of urgency.

During the war (from 1918 to 1920) Railway Troops restored and operated 22 thousand km of railways, restored 3169 railroad bridges. They ensured fighting of the Red Army during military conflicts in the CEL (1929), near the lake of Hasan (1938) and the river Halkhin-Gol (1939).

In 1939, when preparing an offensive to the east of the river Halkhin-Gol in desert-steppe areas within 76 working 324-kilometer railway Borzja-Bain-Tyumen days was built. During the Russo-Finnish War in 1940, 132-kilometer railway Petrozavodsk-Suojarvi was built within 47 working days in exceptionally severe winter weather conditions.

The great contribution was made by the railroad into the military victory in the Great Patriotic War. The main objective of the Railway Troops was the implementation of the barrier, rehabilitation and technical cover of railways.

During the war the personnel of troops and special formations of the People's Commissariat communication ways rehabilitated and constructed about 120 thousand kilometers of the major, second and terminal railroads, 15 thousand man-made structures, including more than 2.7 thousand large and medium bridges, 46 tunnels, about 100 thousand kilometers of rail communications lines, almost 8 thousand of stations and sidings, found and defused more than 2 million mines, artillery shells and bombs, about 60 thousand unexploded bombs.

After the Great Patriotic War the Railway Troops were actively engaged in the task of rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of new railway lines. Only for the 1946-1950 the Railway Troops carried out 37 million cubic meters of earth works, built 6230 way kilometers, thorough restored 2632 bridge.

From 1953 to 1965 the Railway Troops constructed 1720 km of railways in the virgin soils. The large amount of work on construction of railways was carried out in the Mongolian People's Republic, where it was put into operation 950 km of major and station tracks from Ulaanbaatar to the Chinese border.

During these years minemen of the Railway Troops carried out difficult and dangerous work to clear unexploded bombs and ordnance left from World War II. They examined more than 5 thousand km of railways, discovered and defused more than 52 thousand explosive devices.

In the 70th years (before construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway) the troops took part in construction of the railway line Tyumen-Tobolsk-Surgut, Ivdel-Ob, Abakan-Taishet, Suojarvi-Yushkozero and others. Hands of military railway in those years also built more than five thousand kilometers of second tracks, driveways for external transport to the car plants VAZ and KAMAZ under construction.

Construction of the eastern section of the Baikal-Amur Railway is considered as one of the major construction projects of the Railway Troops. From 1974 to 1989 1277 man-made structures, including 50 large, 604 medium and small bridges were built, 1465.8 km of major and 443 km of station tracks were laid.

During the whole period from 1945 to the current time military railwaymen thorough restored and built over 40 thousand kilometers of railways, more than 43 thousand meters of large and medium bridges, found and defused thousands of explosive devices.

The Railway Troops, being a highly mobile and well-trained formation, as appropriate, were involved in the aftermath of natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes on railways. In particular, the significant amount of work was performed by them for reconstruction of bridges destroyed by the element in Sakhalin, installations, miscellaneous blocks in the station of Arzamas, eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, the explosion at the station of Sverdlovsk, the earthquake in Armenia, elimination of the consequences of rail accidents in the Tver Region, Krasnodar Territory (near Sochi), the explosion of the passenger train Moscow-Grozny in 2005, as well as a number of other objects of railway transport.

To participate in the aftermath of accidents and disasters on the railways in the Railway Troops the forces of constant readiness are set up. Every military unit as a part of a standby force has areas of responsibility enshrined by the order of the Commander of the Railway Troops.

Fulfilling the tasks in the Chechen Republic the Railway Troops carried out a considerable amount of recovery, ensuring operation of the railway network in the region, continuity of military transport and cargo delivery to restore the republic's economy. Readiness of RT units was tested in practice to perform restoration work in the incidental effects of devastation and sabotage-and-reconnaissance groups of enemy to rail facilities.

Analysis of actions of the Railway Troops in the Chechen Republic confirmed their great potential in carrying out restoration work on the railways, shows convincingly that in the revival of railways in combat conditions the Railway Troops have no alternative.

In accordance with the Presidential Decree of October 5, 2004 № 1274s "Questions of the RF Armed Forces and the federal organs of the state guard" the Railway Troops are included into the Armed Forces of Russia.