▁higher ▁education ▁did ▁not ▁stop ▁him ; ▁having ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁dep ot ▁fire man , ▁engineer , ▁and ▁cl erk ▁on ▁the ▁Nik ola ev ▁Railway , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁a ▁candidate ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁the ▁Moscow - R y az an ▁railway . ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁a ▁full ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁Board . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Moscow - K az an ▁railway . ▁For ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁quarter - century , ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁national ization ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁his ▁name ▁was ▁linked ▁to ▁act ively ▁expand ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁its ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁transport ▁system . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁nine ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁length ▁of ▁the ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁Moscow - K az an ▁railway ▁increased ▁from ▁ 2 3 3 ▁kilom eters ▁to ▁ 2 . 1 ▁thousand ▁kilom eters . ▁This ▁included ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Ry az an - K az an , ▁Ru za ev ka - P enza - S zy ran - H inds , ▁In za - Sim b irs y ▁and ▁Tim iry aze vo - N iz h ny ▁Nov gor od ▁lines . ▁Ach iev ements ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁von ▁Me ck ' s ▁technical ▁policy ▁to ▁ensure ▁the ▁professional ism ▁of ▁staff ,