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Author Topic: Guide to riding the trains  (Read 33001 times)

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Offline mendeleyev

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Guide to riding the trains
« on: April 17, 2014, 01:43:34 AM »
Riding the trains in Russia is both tradition and part of the culture itself. Allowing someone else to do the driving, train ridership in the FSU is vast and even the lure of cheap domestic airline tickets seems unable to break the appeal of train travel to native FSU travelers.

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Most visitors to the FSU ride on local city transportation but many also have the opportunity or even the necessity to ride on long distance trains. In short there are really 6 types of "trains" in the FSU:

- local underground Metro systems

- the smaller city trams on rails

- local overhead trams as found in large cities like Moscow

- the AeroExpress between Moscow's 3 largest airports

- the suburban electric trains that are called Elektrichka (электричка/электропоезд)

- the long distance trains (долго поезд) and including high speed service such as AeroExpress between Moscow and the cities of Kazan and Vladivostok and express trains connecting places like Saint Petersburg and Moscow.

Metro systems and trams are covered elsewhere so we'll concentrate here on the suburban electric trains and long distance trains.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2014, 01:46:05 AM »
The Elektrichka (electric suburban trains) are powered using overhead electric lines. These trains can run up to two hours distance from a large city like Moscow and usually shorter distances from medium size cities. Most small cities don't have Elektrichka service.

Who uses the Elektrichka trains? Primarily commuters who work in the city and also passengers traveling to a nearby city or village.

Commuters during the week can make these trains very crowded Monday-Friday.


They're a great way to get out of town for the weekend too. In the summer millions of dacha owners use Electric trains to travel from the city to small stops in the countryside.

Mrs. Mendeleyeva and I frequently visit close friends in the smaller city of Kaluga and we take the Elektrichka from Moscow for those trips. The train to Kaluga has two classes of service: economy and first class. Economy consists of simple bench seats with limited space overhead while the first class service is a little nicer usually featuring a small table with tablecloth and plastic flowers on the table. In first class the windows have curtains with designs and there is an attendant who can serve hot tea and a very limited selection of snacks for purchase. There are two television monitors at the end of each first class car.

It is not uncommon (although against Ржд rules) to have some lively entertainment on these trains.

Sometimes the entertainment just seems spontaneous but at other times it is a little more organized and most of these individuals/groups are hoping to earn a little extra dingy (деньги = cash/money).



How to ride the electric trains:

- Find a timetable on the Internet and then show up at the appropriate station ready to ride!

- You'll need a ticket which is purchased at most stations. Without a ticket you can't get past the turnstile at the platforms.

- A ticket attendant at some point may walk through the wagons to make certain that every rider has a valid ticket.

- At the end of your journey some platforms have turnstiles and you'll need that same ticket in order to exit. Don't throw it away!

- In economy class it is open seating. For Americans, think of Southwest Airlines with hardwood or laminate benches.

- Like long distance trains the toilets are at the end of each wagon just outside the doors separating wagons. Lots of smokers will be standing out there, often blocking the toilet doors so if your goal is to reach the toilet you'll have to make known that you're part of the toilet Que.

- Some platforms outside the city don't always have cashier booths open. Go ahead and board the next train but remember the name of your departure station because when the cashier passes through your wagon you'll purchase a ticket from the cashier and knowing where you got on the train will be necessary to purchase a ticket.

- On the chance that no cashier was on the train and no cashier booth was open where you boarded, it will be necessary to purchase a ticket at your destination in order to exit most platforms.


Fun and interesting train trivia:

- Commuter trains transported nearly 860,000 passengers around Sochi region during the Paralympic Games for free, as no tickets were required during that time period.

- The number of local passengers, also free, during the main 2014 Olympics was over 3.9 million passengers.

- In just the month of March 2014, the Russian Railway system carried 84,600,000 passengers.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2014, 01:53:42 AM »


Timetable and tickets for Russian trains: http://pass.rzd.ru/main-pass/public/en

You'll need to register on the website and this is the official site for Russian Railways and for online timetables and tickets it is the safest source. Use the suburban train tab for the suburban Elektrichka routes.



Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2014, 03:50:08 AM »
Now we'll turn our attention to the long distance trains which come in two forms in Russia:

- Regular train scheduled trains.

- High speed trains between selected cities.

(Ukraine has an additional service in some areas called "firm" (фирменный as in company/firm) trains which are sometimes operated by non-government companies. Those trains are generally faster than regular schedules, have a higher level of passenger service and cost more than regular scheduled train service.)

Lets go for a ride!



Important to know:

- You'll need your passport to purchase a ticket as the number is written/printed on your individual ticket. Train inspections en route generally include comparing your ticket to your passport.

- Sanctions over the annexation of Crimea has impacted the sale of how tickets can be purchased. The government has instructed R/D that Western credit cards, especially credit cards with Visa and Mastercard logos, are to be denied for purchase of train tickets since those companies are part of sanctions against Russia.

- Russian Railways is changing their peak pricing models to more reflect the pricing structures of International airlines. Airlines use a lettering system which divides the number of seats on a plane by the number of letters in the English alphabet (26 letters). Air fares first go on sale 10.5 months before a flight and tickets prices begin low and increase as the inventory is depleted with every letter class sold (6-8 tickets per letter class depending on size of the aircraft). Beginning in the summer of 2014 Russian Railways will price their tickets in similar fashion during peak seasons.

- Tickets in the FSU generally go on sale no earlier than 45 days prior to the travel date.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2014, 03:51:37 AM »
How easy is it to buy a ticket online in Ukraine? According to this commercial it looks very easy:



Nice to know:

- Bicycles in Ukraine must be dismantled and stored in the train's luggage compartment.

- Bicycles are welcome on Russian trains but you must pay an extra fee to keep it in your cabin.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2014, 03:56:55 AM »
The AeroExpress trains between Moscow and Kazan has made that Russian city much more accessible to tourists. It has also facilitated the introduction of double-decker trains to the Russian rolling stock.

Our friends Sergei and Sergei rode a double decker to Sochi during the Olympic games and they'll give us a tour:


Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2014, 04:03:17 AM »
Of course we should know the levels of service available on FSU trains.

To start here is Russia's travel gal, Janna:


Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2014, 04:14:00 AM »
Types of service:

- LUX or Spalny (as in delux/First Class)
- KUPE or 2nd Class
- PLATZKART or 3rd class

Newer Lux or 1st class cabin offers two beds and a private washroom in one compartment, but most older trains don't have the washroom per cabin.



2nd class or Kupe cabins have two lower benches and two upper bunk beds in each compartment, with communal restrooms on either side of the carriage.



3rd class or Platzkart cabins are more open style (sometimes called “hard class” because of the benches/bunks) and these cabins have 6 beds in a non-enclosed area.




Luggage sizes:
Anything over 36kg is officially overweight but who checks? If it fits, it rolls in most situations. You must have a separate luggage ticket for a bicycle or anything else large/oversized.

In most cases animals/pets also need a ticket which is purchased at the station.




Interesting factoid:

- Currently in use there are 85,500 kilometres of track belonging to Russian Railways spanning Eurasia from Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea to Sakhalin on the Sea of Japan, from Murmansk in the polar north to the palm trees of the Black Sea.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2014, 01:59:24 AM »
So do some guys rough it, traveling 3rd class platzkartny? Apparently Californians are suited to this kind of thing.



What to do if guys try to "drink you under the table?" Sorry, they probably will so unless you're very brave don't even try to compete with train drunks.


Online Texan77

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2014, 02:51:33 PM »
3) There has been no "threat" to invade Ukraine. The US invented that and fed it to a complicit media.

Offline Volshe

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2014, 02:56:45 PM »
Ukraine to stops trains and buses to Crimea.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/12/26/ukraine-crisis-crimea-idINL6N0UA0LA20141226

What do you call somebody who always brings the good news?  ;D
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Offline Omega1982

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2015, 11:49:20 PM »
Does anyone know what the "soft" ticket category includes in the trans Siberian route.  VVO-MOW

Compartment 55 10324 rub 
Reserved seat 55 11577 rub 
Soft 14 34946 rub 

I am seeking to purchase a private compartment (cabin) for two with meals included. 

Offline Omega1982

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2015, 11:54:33 PM »
I am trying to purchase a lux ticket, but these are the only three options that the official site gives me.  I want to be sure the "soft" category is equivalent to lux and includes food. 

Offline Svietik.Coral

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #13 on: February 02, 2015, 02:43:27 AM »
I am trying to purchase a lux ticket, but these are the only three options that the official site gives me.  I want to be sure the "soft" category is equivalent to lux and includes food.

Soft - a premium 2-person cabin with more amenities than Luxury "SV" including an en-suite bathroom/shower.  You'll have to buy out the cabin as a unit if you are travelling alone.  Offers the most privacy but expensive.

From Trip Advisor
Я люблю солнце и море. I love the sun and the ocean.

Тот, кто избегает, ненавидит женщин.

Offline Omega1982

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #14 on: February 02, 2015, 04:42:00 AM »
Spasiba zapomish Svietik! 

Offline Net_Lenka

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #15 on: February 02, 2015, 11:19:48 AM »
I am trying to purchase a lux ticket, but these are the only three options that the official site gives me.  I want to be sure the "soft" category is equivalent to lux and includes food.
Its' not so simple like it could seem. Look here -- a link to official RZD site--and check a code of service  in your train ticket
http://pass.rzd.ru/timetable/public/en?STRUCTURE_ID=735&layer_id=5499

You should take into consideration not only a type of cabin but also a type of service ( if you wish to have food included )

- А Вы кто такой будете?
-Тьфу на Вас
-А фамилия Ваша как?  -Тьфу на Вас еще раз .. а фамилия моя слишком известная, чтобы я её называл

Offline PBRstreetg

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #16 on: February 02, 2015, 11:55:27 AM »
<SAVED>
so they changed it))
Разрушить всегда легче, чем построить. Обидеть проще,чем простить. И врать всегда удобней , чем поверить. А оттолкнуть намного проще, чем любить

Offline Omega1982

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2015, 01:22:36 AM »
In his initial post, Mendy indicates that one cannot pay with an American credit card on the RZD site due to the sanctions.  I attempted to book and pay for the trans Siberian train this evening and I kept getting an error message.  Does anyone know if this is due to the sanctions? 

I don't want the tickets to sell out, so I tried Real Russia.  RR is charging $1800 for two tickets in lux where the RZD site comes up to $1100.  I am willing to give RR a couple hundred but not $700. 

I tried contacting the RZD site and they claim that the payment is done through a third party bank site. 

Any suggestions? 

Offline Svietik.Coral

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Re: Guide to riding the trains
« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2015, 02:55:12 AM »
bank is VTB

ask them

http://www.vtb.com/group/contacts/question/

hope you find a solution
Я люблю солнце и море. I love the sun and the ocean.

Тот, кто избегает, ненавидит женщин.