The Japanese astutely attacked the Russians in China before the Trans-Siberian could reliably transport overwhelming legions of troops from Russia. Although Russia lost the (Russo-Japanese) war, they still considered striking back. However, an attack on Japan might lead her to seize the rest of the East Chinese Railway, isolating Vladivostok and the Maritime Province. To avoid such an occurrence, construction of a strategically safe railway north of the Amur sector (abandoned in 1896) was urged. At proposal to build the 1200-mile Amur Line was approved in November 1907. The new route branched off from the Transbaikal Line at Kuenga, 30 miles west of Sretensk, and followed an irregular route to Khabarovsk beyond artillery range of the Amur's Manchurian bank.
