2-storey car. What do double-decker carriages look like from the inside?
The first double-decker carriage was made by craftsmen from the Tver Carriage Works in 1905. And 108 years later, in November 2013, a double-decker carriage from the same plant set off on a journey across Russia. What routes do double-decker trains travel in Russia now, what is special about them and what services can be obtained in carriages that are still unusual for us?
Double-decker trains in Russia: where and when did they appear?
Idea double decker train dominated the minds of engineers back in the century before last. The result of the development was a double-decker carriage produced at the Tver Carriage Plant in 1905. It was intended for long-distance transportation, and the first floor was reserved for animals and livestock.
In the USSR, several attempts were made to launch double-decker trains. At first they tried to purchase cars made in the GDR. They operated on some commuter routes. Then there were attempts to create their own versions. The Leningrad plant named after Egorov produced a prototype in which the first floor was sleeping, and the second was with seating. Things didn’t go further than suburban and demonstration launches.
Since 2007, Russian Railways has been working on a project for double-decker trains. We were looking for technologies and placing an order. The same Tver Carriage Plant undertook to produce the double-decker cars; in 2013, the first double-decker car was delivered to the customer. And in the same year, a double-decker train moved along the Moscow-Adler route.
Currently, trains with double-decker cars run on 10 routes. Basically, branded fast trains are double-decker.
- No. 642/641, Rostov-on-Don - Adler;
- No. 003/004, Kislovodsk - Moscow;
- No. 23/24, Moscow – Kazan;
- No. 5/6, Moscow - St. Petersburg;
- No. 7/8, Moscow - St. Petersburg;
- No. 103/104 Moscow - Adler;
- No. 738/737 Moscow - Voronezh;
- No. 49/50 Moscow - Samara;
- No. 35/36 St. Petersburg - Adler;
- No. 740Zh/739Zh Moscow – Voronezh.
According to the Russian Railways rolling stock modernization program, the number of double-decker trains on the routes is planned to gradually increase.
Features of double-decker trains
Unlike the experiments of the last century, full-fledged sleeping compartments in modern carriages are located on both floors. Passengers get to the second one via regular stairs. They are not too wide, but “a picture, a basket, a piece of cardboard” is easy to carry through them.
Many pessimists expected that the compartments on the second floor would have low ceilings; their fears were not justified. The ceiling height is standard and comfortable for passengers on both floors.
There are comfortable “accordion” passages between the cars. The doors between them open automatically after pressing a button. Rattling joints between cars with plates moving apart underfoot are a thing of the past.
Passengers note the comfort, safety and good equipment of double-decker cars. The compartments are locked with an individual magnetic key, which is given to the passenger upon boarding. The carriage has double-glazed windows and energy-saving lamps. Air conditioning and heating systems are installed. The surveillance, control and monitoring system transmits data to the conductor's compartment. Passengers can rest assured about their safety. The compartment also has two sockets for connecting razors and mobile devices.
Comfort comes from the little things. Remember the radio in old carriages, which only the conductor could turn off? In the compartment of a double-decker train, you decide when to listen to music and when not to.
Advantages of double-decker carriages
What other advantages can be noted in double-decker cars, besides modern design coupe and a good level of comfort?
- The number of passengers carried is higher than usual. The new trains have 64 berths per carriage, while the regular ones have compartment carriage accommodates 36 people.
- The fare on a double-decker train is lower than on a regular compartment because there are more passengers. Compared to fast branded carriages of the same class, tickets are 20–25% cheaper.
- Environmental friendliness. The cars are equipped with energy-saving lamps and heating systems, dry closets, and special containers for separate waste collection.
When purchasing tickets for the branded double-decker train, a dynamic pricing program is available. The earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper they are. As the travel date approaches, the price may increase depending on the demand and congestion of the railway route.
When ordering tickets for a double-decker train, please note that each floor has a separate seating plan.
Services on double-decker trains
For the price of the ticket you will be provided with:
- bed sheets;
- top place in the compartment and all seats in the SV will already be made;
- drinking water;
- food (one time);
- sanitary and hygiene supplies;
- Wi-Fi;
- in carriages increased comfort– plasma screens for watching movies or news channels.
The signature double-decker trains have a dining car. There is a bar and kitchen on the ground floor, and a restaurant hall on the second floor.
The carriages have compartments equipped with a lift and wide shelves for passengers with limited mobility.
Good news for lovers of home-cooked food and parents of small children - microwaves are installed in passenger carriages. You can make a hot sandwich or heat up food taken from home.
Double-decker trains now connect the south and center of Russia. There are routes from Moscow to Kazan, Samara, Voronezh. It is planned that in the future on most routes long distance double-decker carriages will completely replace reserved seat carriages.
The other day I was traveling from Moscow to Kazan on a new double-decker train. Russian Railways has several such trains. They mainly run between Moscow and Sochi, but they also go to Kazan. It was interesting to ride. By the way, the price is cheaper than a regular coupe.
So, in this composition there is no reserved seat. Only coupe and St. Since the carriages are double-decker, it is logical that there are more passenger seats in one carriage than in a regular single-decker. Accordingly, the price should be lower. Let's see.
1. Russian Railways now has a new pricing system. If, for example, you look at tickets for this train, then on Friday it will be more expensive than on Monday or another weekday:
2. This is what the diagram of a double-decker carriage looks like on the Russian Railways website. You can choose your seat when purchasing a ticket:
3. On the platform of the Kazan station, the train looks, to put it mildly, unusual. In aviation parlance, this train wears Olympic livery. They launched it for the Olympic Games in Sochi:
4. We go into the carriage:
5. Workspace for conductors. Here, as in the old carriages, there is boiling water. There is no boiling water on the second floor:
7. At the entrance on the left there is a staircase leading to the second floor, exactly the same on the other side of the car. Just below the first floor compartment.
8. Since my ticket was on the second floor, the photos will mostly be from there. The first one is exactly the same. We go up to the second floor. A mirror has been installed to prevent collisions with other passengers. Under the mirror there is a trash drawer:
9. Second floor corridor. There are no sockets in the corridor, because... There are two of them in each compartment:
10. Compartments are opened using magnetic cards. For some reason, these cards were not distributed in our carriage. Perhaps because the travel time to Kazan is only 1 night:
11. I was traveling in the last compartment on the second floor. One:
12. The compartment is a little cramped. This is felt due to the fact that the distance between top shelf and the ceiling is almost the same as in the reserved seat between the passenger compartment and the luggage rack. Well, maybe a little more:
13. Because downstairs everything is like in a regular compartment. Same volume. Not at all cramped. Sockets on each bottom shelf, very convenient:
14. Probably the biggest disadvantage of double-decker cars is the lack of an upper luggage rack as in a regular compartment. There simply wasn't enough space. All luggage must be placed under the lower shelves:
15. There is also not much space below. There was also some kind of metal casing in my compartment. I suspect that not all compartments have it and, accordingly, there is more space for luggage:
16. One of the advantages is the mattress recessed into the shelf. Now you don’t need to constantly adjust your bed, which treacherously rolled out of its place in the old compartments:
17. There is a mirror on the inside of the door, as before:
18. Electronic lock. There is also a regular, mechanical one:
19. Let's go down to the first floor and look at the toilets:
20. Bio toilets. Does not close at stations. There are 3 of them per car and located in only one place. They are located at the opposite end of the car from the conductor.
21. The toilet itself. Everything is clean, still new and nice:
23. This is what the vestibule with toilets and staircase on the second floor looks like:
22. And this is the conductor’s compartment. By the way, you probably know that smoking on trains is now prohibited. Conductors legally sell electronic cigarettes for 250 rubles/piece. You can smoke with them right in the corridor:
23. If in old carriages the space between carriages was closed and air circulated there, then in new carriages it is practically airtight. You can't smoke on the sly here anymore. In addition, the doors open automatically when you press the button and you cannot close them from the inside:
24. This is already a platform in Kazan:
That's all for now. See my next one. It is also two-story.
It is noteworthy that just a few days ago I had the pleasure of the famous which runs from London. The contrast is very great, I hope you will appreciate it soon. I'm still working on the footage.
The train was impressive. In different ways. I didn’t leave anyone indifferent, that’s for sure. A kind of armored train made of tin foil and with plastic inside. I would like it to be made more carefully, especially since this is the first “exhibition” copy. But maybe everything has its time. And the time for truly beautiful and high-quality trains has not yet come. At least this composition is better in every sense than regular train, with the exception of one important nuance - there is very, very little space for luggage in the compartment. But first things first.
Externally, the train looks a little gloomy. Gray bunker on wheels.
2.
Maximum speed 160km/h. It would be very interesting to ride it at such a speed. 
3.
The locomotive is ordinary. It is lower than the carriages and it looks unaesthetic (I had no desire to specifically show this, but you can see this difference a little better).
I think some kind of fairing between the locomotive and the carriage would improve the appearance. And in general, the locomotive needs to match such a train, at least in color. 
4.
Clearly something is missing in the design of the carriages. Yes, it’s cheaper, but it still looks ugly. 
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Let's get into the carriage. 
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It looks nicer from the inside than from the outside. 
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This is a regular coupe. The ceiling is unusually low. And there is clearly not enough space under the lower luggage racks. Only a small photo case would fit there in height, but a large one would not fit. In general, it is designed for travelers with small suitcases. And it is advisable that there should be no more than 1 small suitcase per person, otherwise there will be nowhere to put your luggage. 
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Actually, it's nice. 
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Let's look at the 2nd floor. 
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The compartment is on the 1st floor. 
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Toilet on the 1st floor. Quite neat, not like the old trains. True, there is not much ventilation there, and there are no windows. And very stuffy. However, the entire carriage was very stuffy. Maybe the air will be fresher while driving. On the other hand, remembering the old trains, it is impossible not to shudder - there is generally a gas chamber there in the summer. 
20.
While we were examining the carriages from the inside, the official part of the event took place outside. 
21.
Then they started handing out gift calendars. At first there was just a crush. And then it almost turned into a real fight. I felt sorry for the worker handing out calendars and ashamed for the people pushing and snatching calendars greedily, as if it were an unprecedented value without which they could not live. 
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Here, a little later, it was possible to forge gift commemorative coins. 
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There are places for disabled people on the train. More precisely, 1 place for 1 disabled person. But everything seems to have been thought out. There is even a lift. 
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This is the lift, as seen from the carriage. 
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Compartment for a disabled person and an accompanying person. 
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It's the same from a different angle. 
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The toilet is quite spacious, with special grab bars. 
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There is a shower. 
36.
And this is the compartment of the SV carriage. 
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There is even an ironing board. There is another shower in the background. 
39.
We are in the dining car. On the 1st floor. There is a bar, a kitchen and office space. 
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Let's look into Staff only in the dining car. 
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Refrigerator. 
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The restaurant itself is located on the second floor. 
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The impression from the train is twofold. It seems to be clearly better than the old trains. But it doesn’t cause delight either.
One of the important advantages of a double-decker carriage is that it can accommodate more passengers. There are 64 sleeping places (16 compartments) in a two-story compartment carriage, while in a regular carriage there are only 36 (9 compartments). Thanks to this, the cost of travel on a double-decker train is lower than on trains of similar class. The train departs at 10 am from the Kazansky station and covers the distance between Moscow and Adler in 25 hours.
The train includes cars:
- SV (32 seats)
- coupe (64 seats)
- headquarters (50 seats; with space for people with disabilities)
- dining car
Services for passengers
The carriages consist of 4-seater or 2-seater insulated compartments located on two floors. The equipment of the cars includes air conditioning and heating systems, three dry closets, LED lights, a video surveillance system, a control system, access control and security. passenger train. Energy is supplied from an electric locomotive, which ensures the train's environmental friendliness.
Each compartment has a table, mirrors, shelves for small items, lamps, and ladders for climbing to the top place. The compartments are equipped with two sockets for connecting electric shavers, mobile and other devices with a power of no more than 100 W. In 2-seater compartments (SV) each seat equipped with an LCD display for viewing video programs.
The staff car is equipped with satellite communications and navigation equipment (GLONASS).
The fare includes: bed linen, drinking water. The carriages are provided with sanitary and hygienic items of improved quality. Also offered Additional services: sale of tea and confectionery products, printed publications, souvenirs and other goods.
The topic of model 61-4492 cars was briefly touched upon - as a continuation of the line of domestic double-decker rolling stock, designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h.
And here you go!
And recently it was tested on the Russian Railways network -
As we can see, the size of the second floor in seats is somewhat smaller than in double-decker sleeping cars. Due to the no longer need to place second shelves in the compartments of the upper floors, it became possible to make the sides flatter, more sloping towards the roof. Which gave the carriages some elegance. It’s hard to call them an armored train.
The Russian Railways website reports: Travel time will be 6 hours 35 minutes.
Departure from Moscow at 15:20, arrival in Voronezh at 21:55.
Departure from Voronezh at 7:35, arrival in Moscow at 14:10.
The train makes stops: Ryazan, Michurinsk, Gryazi Voronezhskie.
I can’t say how convenient the schedule is, since I don’t know the opinion of residents of Voronezh and Moscow who travel frequently on this route. Of course, you won’t please everyone 100%, but it is clear that there will be passenger traffic for it.
The train consists of 7 to 11 carriages with seating:
1st class carriages (60 seats), including a double VIP compartment;
2nd class carriages (102 seats).
The color of the cars is slightly different from the standard corporate scheme of Russian Railways -
The same burgundy and gray colors, but in slightly different geometric frames.
The layout of the floor salons also looks convincingly rational -
Due to the presence on the territory of our country and neighboring CIS countries large quantity high platforms (platforms), in the design of Russian double-decker cars, the floor mark of the working vestibule is kept at the standard height for us -
In some models of foreign two-story buildings, the working vestibule is located in the center of the car. Passengers enter directly to the floor level of the first floor. From where they have to climb to the second floor on a staircase with more steps than if, upon entering the carriage, they immediately found themselves at the level of the interfloor space.
Since we have a dime a dozen high platforms on the routes of double-decker trains, Russian cars are, in this regard, more convenient. For those on the first floor, go down a little, for those on the second, go up a little.
Fare:
1 class - from 1685 RUR. (with meals) per place;
2nd grade – from 1135 RUR. for a place.
Just like the travel time, the price of the trip is quite reasonable.
I looked at tomorrow, July 6, trains on the route "Moscow - Voronezh". Anyone can do this on the same Russian Railways website -
Study for yourself, decide for yourself how much new train will be in demand and useful. The cost and time of travel on other trains is clearly visible there.
These are not all the options, just the top. But that's enough -
By the way, please note that the hero of our story is on the schedule for tomorrow. Or some kind of test flight. Or they started it in advance.
- Internet access via Wi-Fi technology;
-air conditioning and heating system;
-environmentally friendly toilet complexes;
- shelves for luggage storage;
- comfortable stairs with handrails;
-energy-saving LED lamps;
- sealed inter-car passages;
-LED information boards;
-coolers with drinking water.
For a fee the following items are available: coffee, tea and confectionery products, printed publications, souvenirs and other goods.
Safety
Provided by security officers or transport police. The operation of the carriage equipment is monitored using a satellite security and communication monitoring system. All carriages are equipped with fire alarms and video surveillance devices.
Numbering of seats
In double-decker carriages with seating, the following seat numbering is used.
1st class carriage:
on the ground floor there are 29 seats (from 1 to 43), VIP compartment (No. 133,134);
on the second floor there are 29 beds (from 81 to 121).
2nd class carriage:
on the ground floor there are 50 places (from 1 to 50);
on the second floor there are 52 places (from 81 to 132).
Characteristics of VIP compartments in 1st class carriages
The coupe has sliding doors and is equipped with the following amenities:
two comfortable seats (sofa);
luggage rack;
individual retractable transformable tables;
main and local lighting lamp;
TV with video content;
conductor call button.
Here it is, a nest for a pervert -