Russian Railways rolling stock: passenger cars (7). Double-decker train on its own skin

09.10.2019

For several years now I have been traveling to St. Petersburg with Sapsan, saving time, which is never enough anyway. On the way there I usually work, on the way back I sober up.

In early February, a double-decker train appeared on the country's most popular railway route. The same as the Moscow-Adler train launched a year ago for the Olympics. I never rode it then, I didn’t make it to the depot on the recent blogger press tour, so I’ll just ride it myself. Travel time is usual, eight hours, overnight. Strange and blurry people nearby - my St. Petersburg friends who came to see off alcoholic from Moscow back to the capital.

1 Three generations of railway equipment in one frame. Suburban train, fast “Swallow” and a double-decker train.

2 There’s no arguing about design, but it’s not here. Yes, not the handsome Sapsan, the flagship of the railways. This is generally economy class, the future replacement of reserved seat throughout the country. Ticket prices start from 1,300 rubles.

The carriages were made at the Tver plant, in that city there is generally a strange understanding of the sense of beauty. But we should go, not checkers? It is much more important what kind of carriage is inside, and whether it is crowded there.

3 Railway riddle. In total, sixty-four people fit into the carriage, and on the second floor there are seats from 81 to 112. The conductor then answered my question, but I want to invite you to guess for yourself. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll add an answer later, and if you guess right, you’ll get free PR :)

4 Let's go inside. Externally, it is quite different from the train we are used to.

5 The corridors themselves are exactly the same, of course. Just on two floors.

6 There are stairs on both sides of the carriage. They are not that narrow, by the way, it is not difficult to drag a suitcase.

7 Standard coupe, four-seater. Inside, all compartments of Tver carriages look exactly like this. This is the second floor, and the photo should dispel the myth of cramped conditions and low ceilings on the second floor. In fact, the first one may seem cramped, but even that depends on the size of the person.

8 There are four individual lamps per compartment, but for some reason there are only two sockets. But this is progress, in the last generation there was only one, and before that there were no sockets in the compartment at all.

9 On the table are advertising booklets, promotions from Russian Railways and magnetic door key cards. Now you don’t need to run after the conductor asking him to open and close the compartment while you go to the toilet or go to the dining car for dinner.

10 Toilets are concentrated in one part of the carriage. There are three bathrooms here. 25% less than before, because there are two toilets in a regular carriage, and three in a double-decker carriage.

12 Carriage toilets have long ceased to be something indecent; here the toilet is normal, and the tap works as usual, and not like a village washbasin.

13 Opposite the toilets are bins for separate waste collection. There is no such program in the country yet, but someday, probably, we will also pack all waste into different buckets or sort it when throwing it away.

14 A look at an ordinary carriage from the top shelf of the second floor. Views from the window are not the strong point of this route; even in summer the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow runs at such a time that it is dark outside almost the entire way, making it inconvenient to take pictures.

15 Transition between cars. Do you remember how it snowed there back in the day?

16 On the first floor there was a free compartment for people with limited mobility. There are only two places, the bottom shelf is one and a half times wider, there is a place to put the stroller. Pay attention to the ceiling - it’s tighter here, but if you lie on the top shelf, you still won’t bury your nose in the roof.

17 Toilet for disabled people. So far, only one carriage is equipped for the needs of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, in Russia they are not very free to move.

18 Oh, what is this! Tver Carriage Works has fixed its bug in the previous version! Somehow it happened that on some trains there was no way to adjust the volume of sound in the corridors, and only the conductor could turn off the radio or the announcements of the train master. Now anyone can do this.

19 The coolest place is the bar. It's not just coffee that's served here!

20 The dining car is also two-story, and the dining room is on the second floor. Typically, dining cars are not popular on Moscow-St. Petersburg trains. Well, I got on the train, went to bed, and woke up at the station. But here it was packed.

21 The cooks in the kitchen wear stylish uniforms similar to those worn in Japanese restaurants.

22 The menu includes steaks and pork ribs, and just giant burgers! I find this sandwich especially delicious because I'm currently on a diet and can't have it!

23 The kitchen is on the ground floor, and all food is taken up in a special elevator. Ring! The waiter brings the burger to the table!

24 They say that in a few years, just such double-decker trains will be running on most routes in the country, and reserved seat cars will become extinct, as long ago obsolete.

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The train is considered the most convenient and democratic way of transportation. Ticket prices are quite reasonable, and comfortable conditions have been created for passengers. This is justified when there is a long, many-hour journey ahead. What does a modern passenger carriage look like? What can you find inside, what types of cars do Russian Railways have? It's worth looking into it in more detail.

Classification and characteristics of Russian Railways passenger cars

Before purchasing tickets, customers must find out which compartments are available.

Modern passenger carriage

There are several types in Russian Railways:

Without sleeping places, the cabin resembles an economy class plane. The rows of seats are separated by one aisle in the middle. If the train is a commuter train, then the seats will be hard, if the train is interregional, the seats will be soft. However, such trains are not designed for long journeys.
The general carriage is the same reserved seat, but there people sit together in threes on the shelves below. The top ones are either not used or missing.
With sleeping places. This is a reserved seat carriage with open (no doors) compartments with 4 standard seats. Opposite, across the passage, two side ones. Luggage is stored underneath the lower shelves.
Compartment cars have 9 identical 4-seater compartments, each equipped with sliding doors. There are 4 separate places inside, there is luggage compartment(downstairs, under the lower shelves).
Sleeping cars with increased comfort. They contain Luxury (or SV) compartments. There are also 9 identical compartments, but each has 2 seats, usually at the bottom. In many ways, the equipment is similar to compartment cars, just more comfort.
Premium class carriages. They are available on tourist trains. There are only 4-5 compartments in the carriage due to their big size. Inside, in addition to sleeping places, there can be armchairs, a bathroom (toilet, shower), TV, etc.
Double-decker cars are rarely found on Russian Railways trains. As a rule, these are luxury carriages. Now they are available on trains traveling from Moscow to Voronezh, St. Petersburg and other cities. They allow you to carry more passengers, which affects the cost of the ticket.
Freight cars. They carry out cargo transportation throughout Russia. Equipment and appearance wagons differ depending on the type of cargo they transport. If these are liquid substances, then there are special large containers for them (refrigerators). If the material is bulk, closed, sealed cars. For large cargoes, semi-open or open wagons are designed where the cargo can be secured. In addition to appearance, they differ in size, shape and load capacity.

Two-story passenger carriages

This is the main classification common to all trains: high-speed, passenger, tourist. The details already depend on the carrier company itself. Russian Railways even have large, double-decker trains.

Important! Before purchasing a ticket online, check the class of the carriage. There are special abbreviations there to help you understand.

Types of passenger cars in Russian Railways

There are short letter designations various types carriages. They are indicated on the ticket and are also available in the flight description on the website.

Car types	Designation	Description
Sedentary	WITH	There are places (soft or hard) for sitting.
General	ABOUT	A reserved seat carriage, where people are seated side by side in threes at the bottom, the upper shelves are missing or simply not used
Reserved seat	P	4 standard seats (two lower and two upper) and 2 side seats across the aisle. There are no fences near the compartments.
Kupeyny	TO	4 standard seats - passenger compartment, there are sliding doors.
Soft	M	Most of them have three-seater compartments, sometimes double ones, and there are additional conditions (shower, TV).
Lux/SV	L/SV	Double compartments, where both shelves are located at the bottom. Increased comfort provided by additional services - the Internet works, there is a TV.

Important! The type of carriage compartment largely determines the cost of the ticket. In the northeast they are expensive, the cheapest ones are a reserved seat or a general one. All compartments are well heated, there is a radio and light, and linen is provided.

New Russian Railways carriages are more comfortable, even in ordinary compartments there are convenient shelves, the toilet is better equipped, the Internet works and there are sockets.

Coupe car

Features of the equipment of Russian Railways passenger cars

Russian railway companies - carriers who produce their own transport - are trying to re-equip the cars, introducing more individual features that might appeal to passengers. The main classes of carriages remained unchanged, but many nuances appeared in the design.

Non-compartment cars of different models

Passenger trains that do not have separate compartments are considered non-compartment trains. This is a general (category C) carriage compartment and a reserved seat. A common feature is the presence of seats where passengers sit as if on an airplane. However, the layout, conditions and location of seats on different trains may vary. You can navigate by letter abbreviations (general):

1C, 2C or 3C - usually 1-2 classes have air conditioning (not always), 3 - definitely not; the list of services offered additionally depends on the train itself (Sapsan, interregional);
1P - similar markings are found on new double-decker carriages, where the total cost of the purchased ticket includes meals, hygiene kit and the opportunity to ask for a blanket;
1B – a special compartment where you need to buy all available seats, convenient when traveling in groups, the price includes meals, individual hygiene kits and the press;
2P - suite, offering passengers increased comfort, there is air conditioning and its own dry closet, the price includes cold snacks;
2B and 3G – air conditioning yes/no question, additional services definitely not, but you can transport animals there;
2E is a regular sedentary suite, there is air conditioning, but a dry closet is questionable.

Econom-class train

The new reserved seat carriages also have a number of features. They belong to class 3:

3E – luxury reserved seat carriage, air conditioning, dry closet;
3T – there is air conditioning, but the dry closet is questionable;
3D – there is air conditioning, there is no guarantee of the presence of a dry closet, but the transportation of animals is allowed;
3U - resembles 3D, only air conditioning is not guaranteed;
3L – no air conditioning and dry closet.

Important! If the carrier is ZAO TKS, then 3U has a working air conditioner and dry closets. There are also sockets and video surveillance. However, transportation of animals is prohibited. Not all new reserved seat trains at Russian Railways are the same.

Interregional carriages of different models

Trains running within the country between regions. As a rule, they are designed for close and medium distances. There are high-speed trains such as Sapsan or Strizh and ordinary passenger trains.

Interregional carriages

The Sapsan train - all carriages are air-conditioned:

1P – separate compartment-meeting room, can be purchased in full, includes drinks, comfortable leather chairs, and a meeting room equipped with a modern projector;
1B – regular 1st class seat, without meeting room;
1C – business class, there are chairs, wardrobes, comfortable sleeping places; high-quality service, sockets, drinks, food ordered from the Menu;
2C – economy class, seated, with hangers, headphones, luggage compartment;
2B – “economy+”, it is more spacious, there is an outlet, a lunch box is available;
2E – seats in a special bistro car, you can buy a ticket via the Internet, meals are provided.

"Strizh" - technically equipped modern train. Everywhere there is air conditioning, free drinking water, there are modern dry toilets, there are video monitors, and the train is always accompanied by security. Passengers have access to the following sockets:

1E – SV (VIP), coupe, sold as a whole, there are 2 separate seats, the upper shelf can be folded, and the lower one can be transformed into two comfortable chairs, increased comfort (bathroom, safe, TV, food), in addition, you can transport animals;
1E – resembles 1E, but you can purchase a ticket separately without buying all the compartments;
1P – 1st class, comfortable seated carriages, it’s convenient, the price includes meals and a hygiene kit;
2C – 2nd class, regular, seated trains.

Train Swift

Important! When planning to transport animals, it is necessary to begin preparations in advance. Find out which carriages offer this service and what is required for the pet (certificates, documents).

Compartment carriages of different models

Most often, people prefer to take a coupe. There are amenities, and the ticket price is quite affordable. The characteristics of compartment cars of different trains have a number of distinctive features that can be identified in advance if you know the meaning of the designations:

2E - a new second-class car of Russian Railways, which implies increased comfort, there is air conditioning, in addition to the ticket, the price also includes meals, a hygiene kit, and you can transport animals if necessary;
2E (double-decker train) - resembles 2E on a standard train, but there are no hygiene kits and the latest press;
2B – reminiscent of 2E, only the presence of dry closets is questionable;
2K – air conditioning works and a dry closet is available, animals can be transported if necessary, additional services – only the provision of bed linen;
2U - resembles 2K, but there is no guarantee of the presence of a dry closet;
2L – standard conditions, additional services include only linen, it will not necessarily include a working air conditioner or dry closet, but animals can be transported if necessary;
2D – an ordinary compartment, but you don’t have to take linen, you can’t transport animals, and there’s no guarantee of air conditioning or a dry closet;
2T – if the carrier is TKS CJSC, then the company offers dinner/breakfast (to choose from), a hygiene kit, newspapers and slippers. The trains are well air-conditioned, there are dry toilets, an LCD monitor, sockets, even a safe. A playpen is available upon request. Animals cannot be transported.

Compartment carriage

In terms of dimensions, compartment trains are not too different from SV or reserved seat trains. The exception is 2-story new trains. Not only the dimensions, but also the layout of the compartment is different.

SV cars of different models

These are comfortable suites with spacious 2-seater compartments. They are always air-conditioned and the cost of linen is included in the total ticket price. Considered 1st class:

1B - real business class, having paid for a ticket, the passenger receives drinks, delicious food, the latest newspapers, an individual hygiene kit, a compartment is purchased, animals can be carried;
1E – reminiscent of 1B, only you can purchase a ticket, not the entire compartment;
1U – no additional services (except for linen), the level of comfort resembles 1st class and animals can be transported if necessary;
1L - aka SV, there are really no additional services, the carriage is air-conditioned, but the presence of a dry closet is not guaranteed, animals can be transported if necessary;
1B - or “business TK”, a similar composition is available on trains from the carrier TKS CJSC, where passengers will be offered a delicious dinner, a hearty breakfast, various drinks and separate hygiene kits, the latest newspapers, and linen. The suites are well air-conditioned, have showers, toilets, and TV.

Note! A soft carriage is a type of high 1st class carriage, but they are more comfortable.

All compartments are double, there are only 8-12 seats per carriage:

1A – inside the train there are 4 separate compartments, a lounge bar, inside the compartment there is a folding comfortable sofa bed (120 cm), a standard upper shelf, an armchair;
1I – resembles 1A, the only difference is the absence of a bar, but it is replaced by a fifth compartment;
1M - the same, only inside the car there are 6 separate compartments;
1G - allows you to transport 2 children (1-12 years old) with adults for free, if there are two adults - 1 child per compartment, the compartment has a comfortable folding sofa bed, a standard shelf on top. You can buy a compartment or one seat.

Important! When purchasing a ticket, it is better to find out all the details from the cashier in advance, so that the possibility of transporting animals or the lack of a dry closet does not become unpleasant news.

International carriages of different models

These are special RIC cars. From their drawings it is clear that there are 2-seater comfortable coupes and 3-seater ones:

2-seater – similar to luxury trains;
3-seater (2I) is a spacious three-seater compartment, where the shelves are all located vertically. There is an armchair, a small washbasin, and linen is provided.

In the Russian Federation there are several trains operating over long distances. international flights like Moscow-Berlin or Moscow-Paris.

Double-decker carriages

The creation of tall, two-story suites was welcome news for passengers. Now they operate on several interregional routes. For example, Kislovodsk-Moscow or Moscow-Kazan.

Double decker train- general form

a travel schedule convenient for passengers has been created;
such trains are capable of carrying more people;
it is possible to reduce the actual cost of travel on a compartment and SV, more places they will still recoup the costs;
environmental safety (these compositions are created using latest technologies and materials);
people's interest - they choose 2-decker cars for the sake of interest, which will also have a positive effect on profits.

Characteristics of the cars:

coupe - instead of the usual 36, there are 64 seats;
SV - instead of 18 accepted - 30 places;
dining car – designed for 44-48 people;
The carriages have isolated 4-seater and separate 2-seater comfortable compartments (2nd floor).

Level of service in carriages

Restaurant car on the train

The service can be judged by the presence/absence of conditions:

air conditioning (available almost everywhere);
dry closet (not always);
socket (to check availability);
Internet (to check availability);
TV (only luxury, CB);
place where luggage is placed (everywhere);
hot water (available in the corridor);
bed linen (provided);
hygiene kit (luxury, SV);
shower (luxury, SV);
Possibility to transport an animal (to be specified).

Important! All services are reflected in the total cost of the ticket, so when purchasing, their availability must be checked.

New models of passenger cars

Of course, the greatest excitement was caused by the appearance of comfortable 3-story large suites. Comfortable compartments, stairs, the conductor has a microwave, a real coffee machine and a thermopot. You can order coffee or heat up home-cooked food.

Luxury carriage

The conductor remotely regulates the climate (temperature, humidity), can also administer the access system and manage the entire energy system.

Passengers have electrical outlets and a radio. You can catch stations yourself. As usual, the compartment has 4 separate seats and a small folding table.

The disadvantage of such trains is that there are no third shelves on top; all luggage will have to fit below.

In addition to these, the following models have been released:

61-4441 – standard compartment car (six-seater compartments);
61-4444 – restaurant trailer.

They were added to the corporate composition high speed train"Petrel".

Conclusion

Russian Railways is developing, trying to take into account all the new technologies being created. The trailers already have internet, showers, and LCD monitors. In “luxury” travel seems comfortable and does not cause any problems.

In addition to Russian Railways, other Russian railway companies are engaged in transportation, although they specific gravity The railway transportation market is still small.

The last time I traveled by train was 2 years ago from Moscow to Donetsk, before that the last time I traveled was 5 years ago, and somehow I didn’t notice much difference with my childhood memories (as a child, every summer we rode to my grandmother and back, so the memories very clearly etched in my memory) - a cramped compartment, it’s blowing from the window, it’s either cold or hot in the compartment, a dirty table, vintage mattresses, for which you first need to take linen from the conductor and then hand it in (a separate quest and entertainment). It’s scary to go out into the vestibule, not to mention walk between the cars, and what is it worth waiting in line for the toilet next to the trash can, which was invariably overflowing by the end of the journey? And the dirty toilet that you couldn’t use at bus stops?
But when I was offered to go to St. Petersburg and back by train, curiosity overcame fear. It turned out to be very tempting to go from the center of Moscow straight to the center of St. Petersburg simply by sleeping at night. It's faster by plane, and sometimes it's the same price as by train, but you have to remember that you have to get to and from the airport, arrive an hour before boarding... in short, it's not the most comfortable option for relatively close distances. There was also the extreme option of going by car, but I would have to drive 800 km alone at night after a work week, without hope of sleeping in the next couple of days. So the train seemed the most reasonable and convenient way, and it was interesting to remember the sensations of the sound of wheels and the landscapes passing by outside the window.

The most unusual thing that appeared on railway during the time I did not use their services - double-decker carriages. They launched about a year ago. Now there are two trains - to Adler and to St. Petersburg, both from Moscow.
The double-decker carriage was designed to carry 64 people, and was packed to the gills with cheerful Chinese citizen tourists. We enter the carriage - it is light and clean, there is an even row of compartment doors. Do you remember when trains used to have reclining seats in the corridors in compartment cars? There are no such chairs here. There is a staircase leading to the second floor and externally the corridor of the first floor is no different from the corridor of the second.

The compartments themselves have also undergone significant changes, perhaps only the layout remains the same as before, only now the shelves in the compartment are immediately filled with linen.
Do you remember how you left the compartment one by one, allowing your neighbors to get the mattress? Cover everything, while trying to prevent dust from flying in all directions and not touching anyone with your hands? Now you can go straight to bed without unnecessary movements.
It also seemed to me that the shelves had become longer - at least this time my legs did not rest against the wall. visually there is definitely no more space here than in a regular coupe. The air conditioner was working. The windows have double glazed windows, “goodbye to drafts.” But there is another side to this - if the air conditioner breaks down, there is a chance it will boil, the windows will not open. Two sockets “the joy of an iPhone”, right in the compartment. Lamps, a mirror, the table is covered with a clean tablecloth, there are hangers It is stated that a travel set of bath amenities is included in the price, but I was too lazy to go to the conductor to get it.

The toilet is practically a masterpiece. And this is not sarcasm. The most important thing is that you can use it at any time. It’s clean, quite spacious (although there isn’t that romantic window on the right whose handle was so convenient to hold on to), there are napkins and soap, and an almost nanotechnological flush button. Such toilets in double-decker carriage three (compared to reserved seat carriage There are more toilets per person, and fewer toilets compared to the compartment ones). The vestibule next to the toilets widens a little, so several people can stand quite comfortably while waiting their turn - it’s funny that they thought of this. And the display in the carriage displays the “toilet status”, meaning whether it is occupied or not. Very comfortably. True, it was possible to go further and make such an indicator right in the compartment, so that there would be no need to get up from the shelf.

A separate entertainment is the passage between the cars. No scary accordions with a shaking floor and flashing sleepers and dirty vestibules. Now there are cheerful orange doors with silver corrugation, a hard floor, it’s quiet and not scary at all. I remember that panicky childhood fear when I had to walk between the cars - I was incredibly scared to fall through, and it was just dark and very, very noisy. Now the doors between the cars open at the press of a button with a quiet pneumatic sound, and close completely automatically, allowing you to move unhindered towards your intended goal (but smokers will suffer - there is absolutely no place to kill a cigarette here.)

I had a goal. I don’t remember ever being in a restaurant carriage, so out of ethnographic and research interest I decided to go. The dining car also has two floors, the restaurant itself is on the second, utility rooms and a bar are on the first. They say the food is delicious and not very expensive relative to Moscow prices, but it was late, I didn’t want to eat and wanted to sleep, so after taking a couple of shots I preferred to go to bed.

One of the nice perks is that the double-decker train has WiFi, although there is a suspicion that it simply works through a modem from a cellular operator: that is, when there is a cellular connection, there is also the Internet. And when the train rushes in the wilderness, and the base stations are tens of kilometers away, it is not there.

I was traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow in a two-story car (number 006). In St. Petersburg, I ended up on another train, a single-decker one (No. 004 “Express,” as it says on the ticket). Almost everything is the same there - clean, quiet, good toilet, but no wifi and one socket per compartment. But I was amazed that the passengers were offered a light dinner - in the compartment there were boxes of water, cookies and yogurt right on the table, and the conductor asked what we wanted for breakfast (there was a choice of three dishes - porridge, cheesecakes, pancakes) and in the morning she brought it - it was shock! For the first time on the train we were given normal hot food (free of charge).

True, I had to pay 30 rubles for tea in a branded glass holder. I wonder, by the way, is this a way for the conductors to earn tips for themselves, or is breakfast and dinner really included in the ticket price on this train, and tea is an additional fee? In this case, “where is the check??”? But the price of tickets on this train is higher than on the “two-story” one.

By the way, Russian Railways now has a flexible pricing system on some trains, almost like on airplanes - the greater the demand (the fewer seats left on the train), the more expensive it is.

Here's an estimate of the prices in a week (I suspect that this is not very far from the possible minimum):

A compartment with a double-decker carriage departing “tomorrow” will cost more than 3,000 rubles (if the seats are sold out - and they are usually all sold out).

According to my impressions, Russian Railways has made quite a big step forward in terms of developing the quality of service and comfort, but it is not without its peculiarities. I’ll tell you straight away, to the carriage branded train I have no complaints at all - everything was very cool there (though without wifi). But here are a couple of comments about the double-decker carriage:
1. Stairs - for older people and those with heavy suitcases, it is better to immediately choose seats on the first floor
2. Claustrophobia - for those who don’t really like confined spaces and low ceilings, it’s better not to take top places On the second floor. The ceiling there is slightly sloping towards the window, and hangs very low above your head.
3. Space for luggage. I fully admit that we were somehow unlucky and had a special compartment (farthest towards the stairs), but under the bottom bunk there was some kind of metal technical box that took up almost all the space. So we barely managed to fit my backpack (the size of hand luggage on the plane) and Tanya’s suitcase (not much more). I can’t even imagine what people will do with large bags, baby strollers, skis, bicycles, because there is no “third shelf” on which all this was stuffed in the old carriages. I really hope that somewhere there is a luggage compartment that can be used if necessary. If you have a lot of luggage, it is better to take another train.
4. Poor conductors. The carriage became double-decker, the number of passengers doubled (compared to a regular compartment carriage), and there were still two conductors. The conductor honestly told us that if we need something (tea or something else), then it’s better to go to him right away, and not wait for him to bring it, because it will take him several hours to serve fifty Chinese.

New double-decker passenger trains began operating on the Moscow–Adler route in November, on the eve of the Olympic Games in Sochi. Despite the fact that the train has been used on this route for almost a year, it still attracts the attention of others. Moreover, there are radically opposite reviews about the two-story building - from quite positive to quite critical. I also had the opportunity to travel on this train. One of the important advantages of a double-decker carriage is its increased passenger capacity, which allowed Russian Railways to reduce fares. A standard double-decker compartment carriage has 64 berths (16 compartments), while a regular carriage has only 36 (9 compartments).

The cars are produced in Russia at Tverskoy carriage building plant. So far, only one route is operating, connecting the capital with the resort Sochi. This year, another 50 double-decker cars will be purchased. They will transport people from Moscow to St. Petersburg and Kazan.

I suggest we take a ride together and see what a double-decker train looks like from the inside.

2. The train leaves at 10 am from the Kazansky station. Travel time is 25 hours. Note the difference in height compared to a regular single-deck carriage.

3. The train is driven by the latest dual-system electric locomotive of the fifth generation - EP20. Can operate on both AC and DC current.

4. This route has a dynamic pricing system - the more empty seats on the train, the cheaper the fare. There is also a 10% discount when purchasing round trip tickets. I bought a ticket 2 days before departure at a price of 8 thousand rubles. If you buy at least a week before the trip, the price will be around 5 thousand rubles.

5. Let's go inside. Tambour. The doors open with a button and close automatically. Transitions between cars are sealed. From June 1, smoking on trains long distance prohibited, but some bad passengers dug holes into the ashtrays.

7. There are three toilets for each carriage. These are dry toilets, and you can use them at any time, including at bus stops.

9. Passage on the first floor. The ceiling height is just over 2 meters.

10. To lock the door in the compartment there are magnetic cards.

11. General view of the compartment on the first floor. The main difference from conventional single-deck carriages is the absence of an upper luggage rack. It’s also worth keeping in mind that you won’t be able to sit upright on the top bunk with your legs dangling. There are spaces for luggage under the lower shelves.

12. In each compartment there are two sockets on the bottom row. The lighting is entirely LED.

13. Inside of a compartment with the door closed.

14. The window does not open: the carriages have a centralized heating and ventilation system. The power supply for the cars comes from the locomotive. There is a sliding curtain on the window. Ventilation grilles are located under the window and on the ceiling.

15. Let's go to the second floor. The steps are illuminated (like in a movie theater), and there are handrails. On the stairs there is another trash container and a spherical mirror to see passengers coming towards you in advance.

16. The second floor is completely identical to the first. The only difference is this small slope of the roof. And the windows are below the waist, and you have to bend over if you want to admire the scenery from the corridor.

17. Upper shelves in the compartment on the second floor. There is a ventilation grille on the ceiling and a speaker with volume control in the center. Another interesting point I noticed is that on the second floor there are two personal lamps on each top shelf. This is probably due to the slope of the roof - not everyone may be comfortable lying with their head towards the window.

18. The rest is completely identical. I don’t know how it is for very tall people, but with my height of 182 cm, the length of the sleeping place was enough.

19. Each passenger is given a personal hygiene kit, a small food ration and water. Tea and coffee are served, of course, in branded cup holders.

20. While no one was there, I went straight to the dining car to investigate. The main hall is on the second floor. By the way, the views from the window on the second floor are better.

21. On the lower floor there is a small bar and the kitchen itself. And to lift prepared dishes upstairs, two small elevators are used.

22. On the way, the train makes several stops lasting from 5 to 15 minutes. All smoking passengers run outside at the first opportunity. For carriages, it does not matter whether the platform at the station is high or low

23. On the way from Moscow to Voronezh region there was absolutely nothing to see outside the windows. If you're bored, you can try free internet. All carriages have WiFi routers with connections from Megafon. True, everything depends on the availability of a cellular network, and this is not very good along the route. In fact, more or less stable communications and the Internet were only on the Black Sea coast.

24. At stops you can observe provincial life.

25. In motion - admire nature.

26. Another stop. Rossosh station.

27. Not all views can be photographed properly - numerous wires get in the way. Sometimes, by the way, it turns out that fewer wires come into the frame from the windows of the first floor than from the second.

28. At 2 o’clock in the morning the train should arrive in Rostov-on-Don. Travel time passes unnoticed. Compared to an airplane, the train is much less hectic, more spacious, and gives you time to work. But this is not two hours on an iron bird.

29. In the morning the train leaves for the coast.

30. Vacationers look with interest at the double-decker train. Many people take photographs.

31. The path runs almost close to the water. Definitely the most picturesque part of the route.

32. At 10 am the next day I get off at the station in Sochi and go to the “Strategic Partnership 1520” forum. But more on that in the next part.

As for double-decker cars, they are many times better equipped than conventional single-decker ones. A little tighter on the top shelf? But there are normal toilets, sockets, internet and everything else.

Have you ridden one of these? How are your impressions?