Two-story trains in Russia: description, route, features and reviews

Many of us think that the two-story trains appeared quite recently, with the launch of the Moscow-Adler route. However, their history in our country has been more than one and a half centuries. Let's start with the main features of this updated means of transportation.

Two-story car: key moments

A two -story , two-story car is the modernization of an ordinary passenger car for better passenger capacity. There is a two-level arrangement of the salons (one above the other). The most illustrative examples are TGV Duplex, Shinkansen E4, Shinkansen E1.

Depending on its design, such a car can accommodate 40-70% more passengers. Considering the fact that for passage of overpasses, tunnels, electrified sections of the route with a hinged contact network, a limited height of the train is required, the designers of such cars go to all sorts of tricks: the first floor is lowered as low as possible between the carriages, reducing the height of both salons. In tourist double-decker trains the lower level fulfills a technical purpose, because its height is small, and the upper one is more spacious, comfortable, often with panoramic glazing. Below is a brief comparative description.

Russian double-decker trains

Are there two-story trains in Russia? RZD offers passengers four types of such cars:

• Coupe (64 instead of 36 seats);
• SV (30 instead of 18);
• Staff coupé (50 instead of 18-24 seats);
• Restaurant (44-48 places for visitors to the dining area).

Two-story trains in Russia have a whole list of features:

• Climate control - air conditioning and heating;
• Airtight and safe inter-car transitions;
• Energy-saving LED lighting;
• Three biotoilets, which can be used regardless of parking;
• Stairs with anti-slip coating and comfortable handrails;
• The wagons are powered only by an electric locomotive;
• The GLONASS navigation and satellite communication system in the staff car;
• Modernized security system - video surveillance, access control and protection of the composition.

Coupe in a two-story car

Two-story trains in Russia (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Samara and other areas) have the following features of their coupe:

• Standard places for rest and sleep, lamps, table, mirror;
• Stairs for lifting to the top;
• Shelves for small luggage;
• The possibility of access to the compartment only with the help of a magnetic key;
• Two sockets (100 W) for recharging mobile, laptops and other electronics;
• Covered all the beds in the SW and the top in the compartment;
• Individual LCD display for viewing media files for each passenger (CB), headphone output (coupe, CB).

In addition, passengers are offered the following services: drinking and boiled water on the whole route, sanitary and hygienic supplies, sale of souvenirs, periodicals, tea and confectionery products.

Two-story trains in Russia: routes

In all directions of two-level trains Russian Railways guarantees:

• The possibility of a more affordable ticket price due to greater passenger capacity;
• Minimal damage to the environment due to the use of new materials and technologies in the manufacture of wagons;
• Convenient traffic schedules (two-tiered convoys - fast).

Below are the directions, where two-story trains go in Russia.

Positive feedback from passengers

Positive features, which were noted by passengers who tested two-story trains in Russia:

• Comfort, comfort;
• New modern wagons;
• affordable price;
• Reduction of travel time;
• Courteous and friendly staff;
• Convenient use of dry closets;
• Access device in the compartment;
• Free WI-FI;
• High quality of food in the restaurant;
• security;
• purity;

• Availability of places for the disabled;
• Pre-covered with conductors sleeper;
• Rosettes directly in the compartment;
• Call button explorer;
• On the top floor there is almost no traffic noise;
• air conditioning system;
• Unusual for a Russian traveler.

Negative aspects

Do not hide from the eyes of passengers and the disadvantages of a two-level innovation:

• Service. If earlier two conductors were accounted for by a 36-seat car, now the same number of employees is provided for 64 passengers.
• The presence of stairs. To get to the second floor, you need to overcome pretty steep steps.
• The upper luggage compartment has disappeared above the entrance - luggage can now be stored only in the lockers.
• Toilets. Two-story trains in Russia have only three booths - one for 21 passengers (instead of 18, as in a standard compartment).
• Heavy pitching. Due to the peculiarities of the Russian railways, there is a high probability of a strong pitching at the second level. It is not safe to be on the stairs during the journey.

Also among the shortcomings of passengers are low ceilings, unregulated climate control, unpleasant smell in wagons, unfriendly conductors, bottlenecks for sleeping, poor window arrangement (too low), interruptions in WI-FI work, inflated prices for products, poor quality, tasteless Food in a ration for CB.

History of two-story cars in Russia

October 30, 2013 from Adler to Moscow went two-story structure of 15 wagons of the Tver Wagon Works. Before that, in August the first Russian depot for two-tiered convoys was opened in Mineralnye Vody. But the listed events are by no means the beginning of the history of the two-story structures in our country - the first such wagons were built back in 1864 at the Kolomna plant. "Cuckoo" (as the train was nicknamed because of the unofficial call "ku-ku", which the driver marked the beginning of the train's movement), shuttled between Peterhof and Oranienbaum, a section of the road in a densely populated countryside.

In 1905, two-level cars were produced at the Tver car-building car. Once again they were commissioned only 50 years later - the cars of the GDR were cruised between Belgorod and Kharkov, Kovel and Lviv. In their likeness, the Leningrad Carriage Works created a domestic model of a two-story car in the 70's. On the first floor there were sleeping compartments, and the second floor was a tourist, panoramic - there were only places for sitting. Their release was limited - only 16 models. This is the story of the two-tiered formations again being interrupted to start a new page in our day.

Private trains

Speaking of innovations on domestic railways, it should be noted that the first private trains in Russia have recently started to run:

• The electric train "Transexpress" in the direction Moscow - Kaluga. Its owner is TransGroup AS, which produced this transport at the Dimikhinsky machine-building plant at a cost of $ 2 million. In each of the cars there are guides and guards, that's why they do not litter, do not drink alcohol and do not smoke, do not sell anything and do not ask for alms. One minus: all cars of one class - the third.
• A private luxury train "Grand Express" runs on the route Moscow - Petersburg. The composition is considered the most comfortable in Russia. Among its services: eco-toilets with heated floor, shower, WI-FI, media player, microclimate system, remote control for lighting, electronic locks with magnetic key, call button conductor, security service.

• 4. Electric Train Severstalrelles, Moscow-Petersburg. Comfortable electric train, which has cars of 1 and 2 classes, two car-bars. The composition complies with all European requirements for comfort and safety, is equipped with a climate control system.

RZD and private operators

The appearance of private trains does not in any way abolish the monopoly of Russian Railways. The owners only own the rolling stock or rent it altogether. At the same time, they pay for the provision of railway tracks, dispatching services, locomotive traction. As for the privileged travel of citizens, the new operators have not yet canceled it. While there is a tendency that RZD gives the most profitable directions to private traders, but the management hopes that in the future non-state structures will transform the unclaimed routes. Recently, on Russian railways, you can see a number of innovations - private trains, two-level cars. Of course, shortcomings can be found in everything, but such advances in the modernization of one of the oldest forms of transport in our country can not but rejoice.