Russian Talgos to enter service next month

[CHamilton]

Russian Talgos to enter service next month

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) began selling tickets on May 6 for its new Moscow - Nizhniy Novgorod Strizh (Swift) services, which will be launched on June 1 using RZD's new fleet of Talgo coaches and EP 20 electric locomotives.
RZD will operate five daily services on the route, increasing to seven from July, using a fleet of four trains. This will enable the redeployment of Siemens Sapsan high-speed trains to the Moscow – St Petersburg line, where a regular-interval service pattern will be introduced.

Two Strizh services will operate non-stop with a journey time of 3h 35min between Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod, 20 minutes faster than the best Sapsan timings. The remaining services will call at Vladimir, Kovrov and Dzherzhynsk with journey times ranging from 3h 46min to 3h 55min. Prices start at Roubles 900 ($US 16) in second class and Roubles 2850 in first.

 

[CHamilton]

Talgo trains enter service in Russia

RUSSIA: The first of Federal Passenger Co’s seven Talgo trainsets was inaugurated by Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin and Talgo Chairman Carlio de Palacio with a ceremony at Moscow’s Kurskaya station on June 1....
RZD has branded its Talgo trainsets as Strizh (swift), continuing the ornithological theme of the Sapsan (peregrine) and Lastochka (swallow) fleets. The locomotive-hauled trainsets painted in the colours of the Russian flag have passive tilt and run at up to 200 km/h, giving a journey time from 3 h 35 min for the 440 km route.

 

[rrdude]

From the Int Railway Journal article........." Each train comprises 18 passenger coaches and two technical cars, with dining and bistro cars, and a mixture of first and second class seating coaches and sleeping cars. Deluxe sleeping cars are also provided with en-suite facilities. All coaches are air-conditioned, have electric heating and are equipped with ecologically-friendly toilets.............

 

[jis]

How long do people get to sleep on a three and a half hour run? (Reminds me of the Onion article on Six Flags adding Sleepers to their roller coasters )

I guess the sleepers are there mainly because these sets were originally intended for overnight run to Kiev, which of course is off the books now given the excellent diplomatic relations that Russia has with Ukraine these days. These were ordered when a Russian puppet was the boss in Kiev, the one that got summarily ejected leading to the present political crisis between Russia and Ukraine and the loss of the Malaysian Airliner and all that.

Now only if they could a Talgo that does not feel like a go cart on rails Juuuust kidding!