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For the first time, Russian Railways launched trains with double-decker cars in 2013. There was only one goal - to replace “reserved seat” cars with such carriages, while the price in such carriages should be comparable to the cost of a ticket in a “reserved seat”. But the promises remained promises. Moreover, Russian Railways has no competition - they said "there will be double-decker trains!" that means they will. And pay for tickets “there will be as many as we say!”
I immediately apologize for the small number of photos in the review of the train - I traveled on it in September 2015 and at that time I did not know that I would write a review on irecommend. But if fate turns out that I go again, I will update this review.
The Moscow-Adler train consists of 13 cars. Judging by the Russian Railways website - there is also a carriage for transportation personal cars ! (I have not used this service, but I know that Russian Railways has recently introduced it). All carriages are double-decker. 1 carriage is “SV”, the rest are “compartments”. The train departs and arrives at Kazansky railway station Moscow almost every day (check in advance - for some reason sometimes the train does not run on certain days).
It’s interesting that on the site tutu There is a “popular” rating of trains based on passenger reviews. So this train takes 5th place in the TOP 10!
Advantages:
✔ THE MOST IMPORTANT- this is with fast train!
Total 1 day from Moscow - and you're at sea! This speed is achieved due to the fact that the train travels almost without stopping, and where there are stops, parking is minimal. (For comparison, a fast train on this route takes 12-14 hours longer!).
By the way, only Muscovites have the opportunity to get to the sea so quickly. St. Petersburg residents will go 2 days!(Although you can get from St. Petersburg to Moscow in 4 hours). But for some reason Russian Railways does not think to launch high speed train Petersburg - Adler. Although I think he would be very in demand!
✔ Dry toilets.
In principle, they are now on all new trains. It's definitely great! Now there is no such idiocy as a “sanitary zone”. This was especially true on this route - the sanitary zone for regular trains stretches from Tuapse to Adler, where the train goes for several hours! It is unrealistic for even an adult to endure this time without a toilet, let alone small children.
✔ The shelves have become longer.
Unlike old carriages, modern carriages have longer shelves - the average height of a person has become higher. (At the same time, the corridor in the carriage became narrow).
Flaws:
✔ NO ROOM FOR LUGGAGE!
In order to have a 2nd floor in the car, something needs to be given up - after all, the height of the car cannot be greater than the distance from the rails to the contact network. Naturally, the designers “removed” the overhead luggage racks above the compartment doors. Look -
In addition, the height from the floor to the bottom shelf was reduced.
As a result, if a passenger travels alone on the top bunk, he simply has nowhere to physically put his luggage! Yes, even if there is free space at the bottom, it is not a fact that the suitcase can be “stuffed” under the bottom shelf.
Advice: If you plan to travel on this train, pay attention to your suitcase. If it is large, do not be lazy to measure it and compare it with the height from the floor to the bottom shelf.
If you are traveling with your family - then, as a rule, there are a lot of things in the south - they physically will not fit into such a compartment! Especially baby strollers or something similar even when folded.
✔ Low ceiling above the top shelf.
Because of this “two-story structure,” the ceiling above the top shelf is not straight, but has a slope towards the window. As a result, if you sleep with your head towards the window, you can painfully hit the ceiling, rising sharply. (I definitely hit myself a couple of times).
✔ New neighbors.
In addition to passengers in adjacent compartments right/left- neighbors now appear top/bottom. Of course, usually the people on such trains are decent, but if you come across a noisy company, it won’t seem like much. We were on the second floor and sometimes heard noise from neighbors on the 1st floor.
✔ 3 toilets for 64 seats.
In the carriage on each floor instead of 9 compartments - 8 . If the carriage is completely filled, then this is 64 people. At the end of the carriage there is 3 dry closet. It is easy to calculate that on average there are 21 people per toilet. For comparison, in a classic coupe - 18. That is, there is a risk of waiting for your turn at the toilet. Especially in the morning before arrival, when everyone goes to brush their teeth or change clothes. As an advantage, it can be noted that in the corridor there is an electronic board indicating the availability of free toilets.
✔ Parking at Sochi station - 5 minutes! At Lazarevskoye station - 4 minutes!!!
Well how can that be?? The train was specially created for a trip to Sochi! It's okay to get out there in 5 minutes. But how to enter? We were just driving from Sochi. There were probably 80% of the passengers on this train on the Sochi platform! Moreover, 64 passengers (in total) should enter one door of the carriage, and not 54 as in the reserved seat. As soon as the train arrived, there was a rush and a rush of people trying to get to their carriage with all their luggage. The good thing is that the conductors were understanding - they simply did not check the tickets - and people boarded the carriage on parole.
At the station Lazarevskoe a lot of people sat down too. There were also people running there.
Advice: If you are planning a trip on this train back to Moscow, I recommend buying a ticket from Adler and boarding there.
✔ There are no stops at many stations in the city of Sochi.
Sochi is a very elongated city and it begins literally right behind Tuapse. Previously (I remember in 2001) trains long distance made stops at stations such as Loo, Dagomys, Matsesta, Shepsi and others. Now they can only be reached by train. As a result, trains in Sochi are overcrowded not only with vacationers, but also with passengers with luggage traveling to or from the nearest station. I don’t understand why everything is done so inconveniently.
Additional services:
✔ Food
Feed once a day. For the price set for food, I think the rations are quite meager. The main dish I remember was a small piece of cottage cheese casserole. There was also some sausage, a couple of buns and a tiny bottle of still water.
✔ Pay attention to seat numbers.
I don’t understand the logic of Russian Railways, but instead of the usual numbering, the carriage does not have seats from 33 to 80. But the rule that even-numbered seats are always the top bunks applies. Here is the diagram of the carriage -
✔
Price.
Russian Railways positioned double-decker cars as an alternative to reserved seats in terms of price. But it turned out to be a lie! The ticket price is comparable to a compartment carriage. With such disadvantages, it is more profitable to buy a ticket for a regular compartment on another train.
It seems to many of us that we appeared quite recently, with the launch of the Moscow - Adler route. However, their history in our country goes back more than a century and a half. Let's start with the main features of this updated means of transportation.
Double-decker carriage: key points
Two-tier, - modernization of a conventional passenger carriage for greater passenger capacity. There is a two-level arrangement of salons (one above the other). The most significant examples are TGV Duplex, Shinkansen E4, Shinkansen E1.
Depending on its design, such a carriage can accommodate 40-70% more passengers. Considering that for the passage of overpasses, tunnels, electrified sections of the route with a canopy contact network a limited height of the train is required, the designers of such cars use all sorts of tricks: the first floor is lowered as low as possible between the bogies, and the height of both compartments is reduced. In tourist double-decker trains, the lower level serves a technical purpose, which is why its height is small, while the upper level is more spacious, comfortable, often with panoramic glazing. Below is a brief comparative description.
Russian double-decker trains
Are there double-decker trains in Russia? Russian Railways offers passengers four types of such carriages:
- coupe (64 instead of 36 seats);
- NE (30 instead of 18);
- staff compartment car (50 instead of 18-24 seats);
- restaurant (44-48 seats for visitors to the dining area).
Double-decker trains in Russia have a whole list of features:
- climate control - air conditioning and heating;
- sealed and safe inter-car passages;
- energy-saving LED lighting;
- three dry closets that can be used regardless of parking;
- stairs with comfortable handrails;
- The cars are powered only by an electric locomotive;
- GLONASS navigation and satellite communication system in the headquarters car;
- modernized security system - video surveillance, access control and train security.
Coupe in a double-decker carriage
Double-decker trains in Russia (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Samara and other destinations) have the following features of their compartments:
- standard places for rest and sleep, lamps, table, mirror;
- ladders for climbing to the top place;
- shelves for small luggage;
- the ability to access the compartment only with a magnetic individual key;
- two sockets (100 W) for recharging mobile phones, laptops and other electronics;
- made all the beds in the SV and upper compartments;
- individual LCD display for viewing media files for each passenger (SV), headphone output (compartment, SV).
Additionally, passengers are offered the following services: drinking and boiled water throughout the route, sanitary and hygiene supplies, sale of souvenirs, tea and confectionery.
Double-decker trains in Russia: routes
On all routes of two-level trains, Russian Railways guarantees:
- the possibility of a more affordable ticket price due to higher passenger capacity;
- minimal harm environment due to the use of new materials and technologies in the manufacture of cars;
- convenient traffic schedules (double-tier trains - ambulances).
Below are the directions where double-decker trains go in Russia.
Positive feedback from passengers
Positive features noted by passengers who tried double-decker trains in Russia:
- coziness, comfort;
- new modern carriages;
- affordable price;
- reduction of travel time;
- polite and friendly staff;
- ease of use of dry toilets;
- compartment access device;
- free WI-FI;
- high quality food in the restaurant;
- safety;
- purity;
- availability of places for disabled people;
- sleeping place pre-made by conductors;
- sockets directly in the compartment;
- conductor call button;
- on the top floor there is practically no noise of movement;
- air conditioning system;
- unusual for a Russian traveler.
Negative aspects
The disadvantages of the two-level innovation did not hide from the eyes of passengers:
- Service. If previously there were two conductors per 36-seat carriage, now the same number of workers is provided for 64 passengers.
- Availability of stairs. To get to the second floor, you need to climb some fairly steep steps.
- The upper luggage rack above the entrance has disappeared - luggage can now only be stored in lockers.
- Toilets. Double-decker trains in Russia have only three cabins - one for 21 passengers (instead of 18, as in a regular compartment).
- Strong pitching. Due to the characteristics of Russian railways there is a high probability of strong pitching at the second level. It will be unsafe to be on the stairs during the journey.
Also among the shortcomings, passengers note low ceilings, unregulated climate control, an unpleasant smell in the carriages, unfriendly conductors, narrow places to sleep, poor location of windows (too low), interruptions in WI-FI, inflated prices for food, poor quality, tasteless food in rations for SV.
History of double-decker cars in Russia
On October 30, 2013, a double-decker train of 15 cars departed from Adler to Moscow. Before that, in August, Mineralnye Vody The first Russian depot for double-stack trains was opened. But the listed events are by no means the beginning of the history of double-decker trains in our country - the first such cars were built back in 1864 at the Kolomensky plant. “Cuckoo” (the train was so nicknamed because of the unofficial call “cuckoo”, which the driver used to signal the start of the train’s movement) ran between Peterhof and Oranienbaum, a section of the track in a densely populated dacha area.
In 1905, two-level cars were produced at the Tver carriage building. They were put into operation again only 50 years later - cars produced in the GDR ran between Belgorod and Kharkov, Kovel and Lvov. In their likeness, the Leningrad Carriage Works created a domestic model of a double-decker carriage in the 70s. On the first floor there were sleeping compartments, and the second floor was a tourist floor, an observation floor - there were only places for sitting. Their release was limited - only 16 models. At this point, the history of double-tier trains was interrupted again to begin its new page in our days.
Private trains
Speaking about innovations on domestic railways, it should be noted that the first private trains in Russia recently began running:
- Electric train "Transexpress" direction Moscow - Kaluga. Its owner is TransGroup AS, which cost $2 million to produce this vehicle at the Dimikha Machine-Building Plant. There are conductors and guards in each of the carriages, so there is no littering, no drinking or smoking, no selling or begging. One minus: all carriages are of the same class - third.
- The private luxury train "Grand Express" runs on the route Moscow - St. Petersburg. The composition is considered the most comfortable in the Russian Federation. Among its services: eco-toilets with heated floors, showers, WI-FI, media player, microclimate system, remote control for lighting control, electronic locks with a magnetic key, a button to call the conductor, and security service.
- 4. Electric train "Severstalrels", Moscow - St. Petersburg. A comfortable electric train consisting of 1st and 2nd class carriages and two bar cars. The composition meets all European requirements for comfort and safety, and is equipped with a climate control system.
Russian Railways and private operators
The appearance of private trains does not in any way abolish the monopoly of Russian Railways. The owners simply own the rolling stock or even rent it. At the same time, they pay for the provision of railway tracks, dispatch services, and locomotive traction. As for preferential travel for citizens, the new operators have not yet canceled it. So far there is a tendency that Russian Railways is putting the most profitable routes into the hands of private owners, but management hopes that in the future non-state trains will also transform unclaimed routes. Recently, a number of innovations can be seen on Russian railways - private trains, two-level carriages. Of course, shortcomings can be found in everything, but such progress in the modernization of one of the oldest types of transport in our country cannot but rejoice.
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.
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 the 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 - no strong point this route, even in summer the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow goes 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 carriages They will die out as long ago obsolete.
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Double decker buses or double deckers are the hallmark of London and those who have never even been to the capital of Foggy Albion know about them. What is known about double-decker trains? They can be found on the railways of most countries, and in Russia such transport was put into operation on the eve of the Sochi Olympics. The first one was launched on the Moscow-Adler route, since then there have been more of them, they are mainly occupied on long-distance routes.
About double-decker trains
A double-decker passenger car is not an invention of the future, since they were invented at the beginning of the 20th century. at the Tver Carriage Works. They were intended to transport passengers on Far East, but only the 2nd floor was used for people, and livestock was transported on the 1st. They were not in operation for long and for a whole 50 years they forgot about multi-storey railway transport.
Khrushchev repeatedly tried to revive the 2-story train during Soviet times. These attempts were unsuccessful and such cars were not used en masse. Only with the advent of the 21st century. In Russia, they began producing double-decker railway trains, which were developed and produced at the same Tver Carriage Works.
A trip in such a carriage is almost no different from a trip in an ordinary single-decker, and the level of safety meets the required standards. Although some countries have abandoned the use of multi-storey passenger cars, since they are technically difficult to maintain.
Double-decker train - general view
Characteristics of double-decker trains
A double-decker long-distance train consists of the following elements:
- compartment cars with a capacity of 64 people each;
- one SV car with 30 seats;
- staff car with 50 seats;
- dining car for 44 people (1st floor – bar, 2nd floor – dining room).
The development of domestic double deckers was carried out with the involvement of French specialists, and the assembly is carried out entirely at the Tver plant. The trains are capable of accelerating to a maximum of 160 km/h, and are driven by the EP20 electric locomotive. Designed specifically as a locomotive for multi-deck carriages, running on direct or alternating current.
If you compare the dimensions of a regular and a 2-story carriage, it turns out that the latter is not much different from its “younger brother”: the new carriage is only half a meter higher and weighs 8 tons more. These are not such big numbers, considering that the two-tier passenger train almost 2 times more spacious. The task of the designers was to create a “train of the future” for large passenger traffic, and at the same time it had to move without problems along existing railway lines. What was done for this? The center beam was modernized, making it more compact. In addition, we had to sacrifice the upper niches for luggage. Stabilizers protect against pitching in the upper carriage.
Diagram of a double-decker compartment car of Russian Railways
Russian double-decker trains
Russian Railways put the first double-decker cars into circulation in 2013; by 2020, it is planned to provide all routes with the highest loads with branded double-decker cars. What know-how is used in such cars? Here are the most basic ones that cannot be found in ordinary carriages:
- You can only get into the compartment using a magnetic card, which is issued to each passenger individually. This guarantees the safety of luggage if a person needs to leave for a while.
- Each carriage has two sockets.
- The entrance to the carriage is automated and opens using a button.
- Each carriage has three dry closets, which are open throughout the journey. And they differ in the level of comfort, inside there is an outlet, disposable toilet covers, a large mirror, liquid soap, paper towels and toilet paper.
- The carriages are equipped with a unified climate control and air conditioning system.
- The staircase to the second floor is equipped with lighting and observation glass to see those who are climbing.
- Car crossings are completely sealed.
- For people with limited mobility there is a compartment (in the staff car), a lift for boarding the transport and a toilet.
- The headquarters car is equipped with a GLONASS system, thanks to which satellite Internet is available along the entire route.
- The train is equipped with a special control system, which is carried out from the headquarters car.
- Each carriage has an electronic display with general information(car number, time, temperature, etc.).
- The carriages are equipped with a small utility room with a water cooler, coffee machine, and microwave. In some NE carriages you can even find a shower and an iron and ironing board.
- Separate waste receptacle for glass, plastic and food waste.
Boarding a disabled person into a carriage
Additional information! The price standard includes Russian Railways branded bed linen and hot water for tea. You also receive a packed lunch (muffin, bun, nutrition bar, tea bags and water bottle) and a hygiene pack (wet wipe, toothbrush, hygiene products, disposable slippers). These sets may differ slightly on different routes. But the cost of travel on futuristic trains differs, and significantly. The earlier the ticket is booked, the cheaper it will cost. If you need to travel on holidays or weekends, you will have to pay more.
Coupe
At first glance, the compartment in such a train looks like an ordinary one, and only upon detailed study does it become clear that there are differences. The distance to the ceiling on the upper shelves has become smaller, but this is not felt during sleep. But for the upper passengers, they added a couple of details that will make their trip easier: a limiter on the edge of the bed and a retractable step-ladder to make it easier to climb upstairs.
Previously, all people, without exception, were annoyed by the radio point, which could not be turned off; on double-decker Russian Railways trains, each passenger can turn off the radio broadcast for himself. Each shelf also has hooks and hangers for clothes, a shelf for personal items, and individual adjustable lighting.
Coupe. Inside view
Staff carriage
The headquarters compartment car contains the train director's compartment, a control room, and a control panel for security and climate control systems. In addition, this carriage is equipped with a compartment for wheelchair users. Its area is larger than that of a regular coupe; inside there are: a lower shelf with an adjustable backrest, an upper shelf for an accompanying person, a place for a wheelchair, a table, and a folding seat.
Note! To make traveling on the train easier for people with disabilities, the carriage is conveniently located with an automated lift, a toilet for passengers in a wheelchair, and the compartment has a button to call the conductor. All inscriptions are duplicated in Braille (for the blind).
SV-car
As with many trains, the 2-story branded train There is a SV carriage with increased comfort. The price of a ticket in such a carriage is much higher, but the passenger receives the following advantages: in each compartment there are only two lower passenger seats, and in addition to a food ration, the ticket price includes two meals a day.
Dining car
The “restaurant on wheels” is located in car No. 8, so passengers who want to have lunch during the trip need to buy tickets closer to this car in order to make fewer transitions. On the ground floor there is a kitchen, utility rooms and a small bar, but on the second floor there is the restaurant itself, designed for 44 visitors.
Dining car
The color scheme of the interior of the dining car is designed in blue and pastel colors, in accordance with the general color scheme of the entire train. The pleasant thing is a decent menu, freshly prepared food and quite affordable prices for a dining car.
Double deck train routes
By 2018, the Russian Railways branded double-decker train was launched on the following routes:
- Rostov - Adler No. 642/641: departure from Rostov at 20:55, arrival in Adler at 8:21. Travel time 11 hours 26 minutes.
- Moscow – Kislovodsk No. 003/004: departure from Moscow 08:22, arrival in Kislovodsk at 08:28. Travel time: 23 hours 54 minutes.
- Moscow – Kazan No. 23/24: departure from Moscow at 23:08, arrival in Kazan at 10:45. Travel time: 11 hours 35 minutes.
- Moscow - St. Petersburg No. 5/6, No. 7/8: departure of train No. 5/6 from Moscow at 22:50, arrival in St. Petersburg at 6:47; departure of train No. 7/8 from Moscow at 21:50, arrival in St. Petersburg at 6:06. On average the journey takes about 7 hours.
- Moscow – Adler No. 103/104: departure from Moscow at 10:00, arrives in Adler 24 hours later.
- Moscow – Voronezh No. 738/737 (from seating areas): departure from Moscow at 16:52, arrival in Voronezh at 23:12. Travel time 6 hours 30 minutes.
- Moscow - Samara No. 49/50: departure from Moscow at 18:10, arrival in Samara at 9:45. Travel time: 15 hours 35 minutes.
- St. Petersburg - Adler No. 35/36: departure from St. Petersburg at 20:27, arrival Adler at 10:11. Travel time 37 hours 44 minutes.
- Moscow – Voronezh No. 740Zh/739Zh: departure from Moscow at 8:14, arrival in Voronezh at 14:34. Travel time 6 hours 20 minutes.
The train schedule and directions are given for informational purposes, as changes may be made to them, so you should find out current information on the official website of Russian Railways.
Train on the way
Features of double-decker trains: pros and cons
Thousands of Russians and tourists have already taken the opportunity to ride on a double-decker train, and they have appreciated the advantages of such a trip from their own experience. Mostly almost everyone highlighted the following advantages:
- unusual and interesting appearance;
- convenient carriage layout;
- comfort and cleanliness;
- sockets, WI-FI, magnetic key cards;
- reduction of travel time;
- increased sound insulation and absence of “shaking” on the second floor;
- dry closets that the conductor does not close in the sanitary zone.
Although there are some shortcomings, these include the following:
- too few conductors - two for 64 passengers;
- the steps are steep, making it difficult to lift luggage;
- the overhead luggage rack disappeared;
- there are few toilets - one for 21 people, in regular ones one for 18 people;
- motion is felt on the second floor;
- low ceilings;
- windows are inconveniently located;
- lack of satellite internet.
Boarding the train
All reviews are contradictory and in order to form your own opinion about Russian double-deckers, you need to “know the whole kitchen from the inside,” that is, choose one of the routes and ride this miracle of the 21st century yourself.
Double-decker trains are slowly becoming a familiar part of the interior of railway stations and are no longer surprising passengers. However, the day may not be far off when the Russian Railway decides to surprise once again and put a three-story train on the rails?
New double-decker passenger trains began running on the Moscow-Adler route in November, on the eve of the Olympics in Sochi. Despite the fact that the Moscow-Adler double-decker train has been in use 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. I suggest we take a ride together and see what a double-decker train looks like from the inside.
Photos and text by Viktor Borisov
1. One of the important advantages of a double-decker car 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 the Tver Carriage 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.
The train departs at 10 am from the Kazansky station. Travel time is 25 hours. Note the difference in height compared to a regular single-deck carriage.
2. The train is driven by the latest dual-system electric locomotive of the fifth generation - EP20. Can operate on both alternating and direct current. 
3. 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. 
4. Let's go inside. Tambour. The doors open with a button and close automatically. Transitions between cars are sealed. Since June 1, smoking has been prohibited on long-distance trains, but some bad passengers have poked holes in the ashtrays. 
5. We go further into the carriage. At the standard floor level there are toilets and various technical rooms. 
6. There are three toilets for each carriage. These are dry toilets, and you can use them at any time, including at bus stops. 
7. Containers for separate waste collection are installed opposite the toilets. 
8. Passage on the first floor. The ceiling height is just over 2 meters. 
9. To lock the door in the compartment there are magnetic cards. 
10. 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. 
11. In each compartment there are two sockets on the bottom row. The lighting is entirely LED. 
12. Inside of a compartment with the door closed. 
13. 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. 
14. 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. 
15. 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 need to bend over if you want to admire the scenery from the corridor 
16. 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. 
17. The rest is completely identical. I don’t know how to do it at all tall people, but for me, with a height of 182 cm, the length of the sleeping place was enough. 
18. 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. 
19. While there was no one 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. 
20. On the lower floor there is a small bar and the kitchen itself. And to lift prepared dishes upstairs, two small elevators are used. 
21. On the way, the double-decker train Moscow - Adler 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. 
22. On the way from Moscow to the Voronezh region there was absolutely nothing to see outside the windows. If you're bored, you can try to use the 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. 
23. At stops you can observe provincial life. 
24. In motion - admire nature. 
25. Another stop. Rossosh station. 
26. 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. 
27. 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. 
28. In the morning, the double-decker train Moscow - Adler leaves for the coast. Vacationers look with interest at the double-decker train. Many people take photographs. 
29. The path runs almost close to the water. Definitely the most picturesque part of the route. 
30. At 10 am the next day I get off at the station in Sochi. 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. 
