Abstract: The research subject of this article is the salt industry in the Astrakhan Governorate during the second half of the 19th century. The article's research object is the role of the Baskunchak railway in the development of the salt industry in the Astrakhan Governorate during the second half of the 19th century. The chronological framework of this study encompasses the period from the second half of the 19th century, when precisely at this time the government policy changed to the state reorganization of the entire railway system in Russia in the reign of Alexander II, and later in the reign of Alexander III, on the discussed here example, construction and operation of the Baskunchak railway. The author provides a detailed comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of transporting salt along the Baskunchak railway compared with transportation by oxen, which leads to the affirmation that after its opening this railway became the most important economic artery in Russia. This work uses the problem-chronological method, the historical-descriptive method, the historical-comparative and historical-systemic methods. The novelty of this study lies in its detailed elaboration of a previously unstudied direction, such as the influence of the new railway on the development of the salt industry in the Astrakhan Governorate during the second half of the 19th century.The role of the Baskunchak railway in the growth of the salt industry in the Astrakhan Governorate during the second half of the 19th century is indisputable. The railway connecting Lake Baskunchak with Port Vladimir has opened the most reliable and convenient form of transport. The materials used in this work are relevant for use in university education processes in the Astrakhan region for teaching general and specialized courses in Russian history and other related disciplines.