The study is devoted to the first two decades of the existence of the Khabarovsk Technical Railway School. It was created during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and is intended to provide personnel for its eastern section — the Ussuri Railway. At present, the legal successor of the school is the Khabarovsk Technical School of Railway Transport.The problems of recruiting the commanding staff before 1917 are outlined, brief biographies of the first three heads of the school, who played a huge role in its formation, are given. Separately, the issues of staffing the teaching corps, which consisted of staff teachers and engineers involved in production, mainly from the Ussuriysk railway, were considered. The conditions for the recruitment of students and the order of their training are given; a brief description of the social composition of students. A detailed list of taught disciplines is shown, including not only general education, but also special subjects. The practical orientation of the work of the educational institution, which graduated mid-level specialists for the track and traction departments, is noted. The system of educational work in the school, which was based on Orthodoxy, has been investigated. Great importance was attached to the material support of the educational process: the school had a beautiful two-story building for its time.