Double deck trains Double-decker trains Differences from conventional wagons
But RZD is silent about something. New cars are fraught with many problems. Read more under the cut.
1. Service.
There are 36 seats in an ordinary compartment car. The new two-story building has 64 seats.
You will have to wait longer for service because there are no more guides. There are still two of them. And there are 28 more passengers in a double-decker carriage. Even more than in a reserved seat car, where there are 54 passengers. So tea will be brought more slowly than in the reserved seat. Also, you will have to wait longer to board the car. And you pay like for a regular one-story apartment compartment carriage.
We are told that there will be more tickets than on regular trains, but this is also not entirely true. No one will drive extra cars, just if there are fewer passengers for some direction, then the number of cars will be reduced proportionally.
2. Stairs
Elderly and disabled people will be especially grateful to Russian Railways for the need to carry suitcases to the second floor. Even from the first floor there will be a small staircase to get to the exit. Only one carriage in the entire train will be single-storey. And of course the places in it will be sold out in the first place.
Speaking of suitcases and bags. There is no longer a luggage rack above the entrance to the compartment. Not on the first or second floor. Where to put large luggage for 4 passengers is not clear. Also on this shelf, the conductors usually placed blankets and pillows so as not to occupy the lower shelves. Now they will interfere.
4. Ventilation
I often travel in compartment cars of branded trains. They are all brand new, but the continuous ventilation only works on one out of five rides. Typically, ventilation is turned on in the evening and turned off at night. I'm not talking about air conditioning, but about a banal influx fresh air. Sealed non-opening windows have been installed in the compartment for a long time, and when 4 passengers are traveling, and the ventilation does not work for several hours in a row, there is simply nothing to breathe. I can’t even imagine how asthmatics and heart patients endure such torture. This gross violation of sanitary standards has been getting away with Russian Railways for many years.
In double-decker wagons it will be even harder, because. the volume of the coupe has become significantly smaller, due to the reduced ceiling level and the lack of space where the luggage rack was.
You might think that the newest carriages will have ventilation. I doubt it very much, because even in the branded train 01/02 Moscow-Vladivostok, where they use newest wagons with twin toilets at one end of the car, the ventilation is not turned on at all for the whole trip! I argued with the conductors many times - they refer to various technical problems. Thus, the risk of literally suffocating when ventilation is turned off increases even more in a double-decker car.
Many people are surprised at how weak they are after a trip on a night train - if there was no headache all night, if there was no ventilation and the air did not meet any sanitary standards!
5. Toilets
Look here. In an ordinary compartment car there are 36 seats and 2 toilets. It turns out 1 toilet for 18 passengers. There are 64 seats and 3 toilets in a double-decker carriage - 1 toilet for 21 passengers. Toilets will be 15% busier. Not the biggest problem, but in this respect it will become a little worse.
6. Tambour and smokers
Tambour with opposite side the conductor was removed from the compartment altogether. And there is nowhere else to smoke. In theory, this is great. Yes and new law Russia bans smoking on trains. I don't smoke myself and I can't stand the tobacco smoke that enters the corridor from the vestibule in ordinary carriages.
But the reality in Russia is that many selfish smokers will still want to smoke and will do it in the toilets. And everyone will be forced to poison themselves with tobacco smoke when visiting the toilets. And in the vestibule where the entrance to the car, the conductors do not allow smoking - they often go there themselves and carry out any maintenance of the car systems.
7. Risk of injury
More about stairs. Unlike Europe, our railway tracks are not so ideally laid and the cars are not so well thought out in terms of suspension comfort and the cars shake quite a lot while driving. The risk of injury when descending the stairs when you are going to the toilet is very high. Or if you need to bring hot tea or boiling water. Yes, and swing the second floor will be stronger.
Results
Do you think tickets will be cheaper? Nothing like this will most likely happen. Double-deck cars are beneficial only for Russian Railways - they will save money at the expense of your comfort and safety.
Yes, there are also double-decker trains in Europe, but mostly we are talking about ordinary electric trains with seats, they always have ventilation, and such cars are more often put on regional cheap trains, such as RE in Germany. But there are many ordinary single-decker trains, which are the vast majority. In the conditions of Russia, when Russian Railways is clearly going to replace all ordinary single-decker cars with double-decker ones, traveling in such trains will have no alternative and will in fact be equated with torture.
All of the above is my personal opinion.
: https://www.yaplakal.com/forum2/topic633791.html
At the moment, only two double-decker trains run: No. 104, Moscow - Adler, and No. 5, Moscow - St. Petersburg. The cars of both trains were built on Distinctive feature these modern trains is much larger than conventional capacity.
Fare
It will cost a little less to travel in each of these two-story trains than in regular train. However, only if the ticket is purchased in advance. The fewer empty seats left in the carriages, the more expensive they are. A double-decker ticket - Adler, bought in advance, will cost about 4,000 rubles. Ticket a train to St. Petersburg costs about 1300 rubles. Sale for the flight starts as usual - 45 days before departure.
Both double-decker trains belong to the branded class. they don't have. In addition to compartments, there are several SVs. The capacity of one carriage is 64 seats. Basically, this was the reason for the reduction in the cost of travel on a double-decker train. For comparison: there are usually only 39 seats in a carriage.
Composition features
From the usual double-decker train, it differs primarily in the height of the cars. The train is driven by the fifth generation locomotive EP-20, capable of operating both on AC and on High cars. appearance. Each has the Russian Railways branded abbreviation, written in red letters, clearly visible against a gray background.
The restaurant of the Adler composition is designed for 60 seats, St. Petersburg - at 48. Two waitresses serve visitors. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the train. As in conventional trains, food is also sold several times a day in the corridors. In addition to the restaurant, the double-decker train also has a bar for eight people. It is located on the first floor. Next to it is the kitchen. It is connected to the restaurant by two elevators. One of them is designed for lifting ready-made dishes up, and the second for lowering dirty dishes down.
Disabled facilities
The conveniences of these two new trains include the fact that they have cars specially designed for people with handicapped. Their distinctive features are wide corridors. Passengers can move on them right in the stroller. At the entrance to the car there is a special lift. Thus, a disabled person can get into the double-decker train itself (its photo can be seen on the page) without getting up from the carriage.
First floor
Most of the passengers who have already traveled on these trains speak of them as quite comfortable. The carriages are a little cramped than usual, but quite comfortable. The height of the corridors is a little over two meters. The compartment doors can be closed/opened using a magnetic card. Traveling on the train is completely safe - the passages between the cars are sealed.
Two-story - the composition, judging by the reviews, among other things, is also very clean. Smoking in vestibules is prohibited. Each carriage has three dry closets. You can use them, including at stops. There are also containers for sorting garbage on the train.
Second floor
A fairly well-equipped staircase leads up from the first floor. Its steps are illuminated, but you can hold on to comfortable handrails. There is a garbage container on the interfloor platform. A survey spherical mirror is suspended above it. Passengers descending the stairs can see those ascending, and vice versa.
The second floor of the train is very similar to the first. The only difference is that the ceiling here is slightly sloping, and the windows are very low - at the level of an adult's waist.
train compartment
Passengers who have bought a ticket for the branded train Moscow - Adler double-decker or to St. Petersburg can get settled very well. The compartments in these trains are quite comfortable and well equipped. Each of them is designed for four people. The length of the shelves in the compartment is slightly less than in the cars of ordinary trains. However, even tall people can accommodate them more or less comfortably. The only thing - to sit in full growth on the second shelf will not work. The ceilings on both floors are quite low. The third luggage racks in compartments and CBs are not provided. Suitcases can only be placed under the lower ones.
Lighting in the compartment is LED, and sockets for charging phones and laptops are built into the wall next to each of the two lower shelves. Available on double-decker trains and free wifi. Communication is provided by Megafon. Among other things, each compartment has a separate radio station. Increases the comfort of the trip and the presence of a climate control system. However, unfortunately, it is impossible to regulate the temperature in each individual compartment.
The windows throughout the train are equipped with modern soundproof double-glazed windows. SV-cars have liquid crystal monitors designed to view video programs.
Maintenance
When boarding a double-decker train, as in any branded train, passengers are given bed linen. The ticket price also includes a sanitary kit, newspapers, boiled water during the entire journey and dry rations. The latter includes drinking water in a bottle, jam, cracker, chicken pate, mustard, mayonnaise, waffles. Just like on ordinary trains, tea is served periodically. The hygiene package includes a spoon, fork, knife, toothpick, paper napkin.
Both double-decker trains are accompanied by police officers. In order for them to monitor the order in the cars, video cameras are placed in the corridors.
Double-decker train: reviews
As already mentioned, the opinion of passengers about these trains was good. First of all, the low fare and the absence of standard inconveniences are noted. Russian trains: closed toilets at stops, heat or cold in cars, idle boilers, etc.
The disadvantages of these trains, passengers include, first of all, some tightness of the cars. Clean and comfortable toilets are also something the double-decker train boasts. Reviews in this regard about him are also very good. However, the toilets are sometimes smoky. Smoking in the vestibules of both trains is prohibited. Therefore, some passengers do it in the toilet. Causes certain inconvenience and the absence of third shelves. If there is too much luggage, there will simply be nowhere to put it.
Lineup schedule
A double-decker train moves a little faster than usual. The average speed is about 160 km/h. The schedule is designed in such a way that the majority of passengers are on the road in the shortest time. From Moscow to Adler on a double-decker train can be reached in about 25 hours. To St. Petersburg - 8 hours.
As you can see, a double-decker train (photos confirm this) can be assessed as quite convenient and comfortable. The ticket is inexpensive, and the train moves very quickly. So you can even put up with some tightness.
Comfortable double-decker trains began to run on railways Russia not so long ago. The train "Moscow - Adler" 103/104 was the first to be launched. At the moment, residents of the capital who wish to get to St. Petersburg can purchase a ticket for the same train number 5/6. There is another such train - from Moscow to Kazan (23/24).
How convenient are these trains?
The advantages of two-story compositions include primarily:
- possibility of transportation immediately a large number passengers;
- the possibility of selling tickets at a not too high cost;
- environmental friendliness of operation.
The double-decker carriages of the Russian Railways (see photo below) look rather unusual. Their height is 5 meters 25 cm. They were designed and built by domestic engineers. Tickets for travel in such trains cost about 22% less than in conventional trains. Russian Railways managed to reduce the price for them precisely due to the fact that it became possible to carry a much larger number of passengers in one flight. However, judging by the feedback, go to two-story composition not as convenient as in a regular train.
Key Features
In addition to ordinary passenger trains, a dining car is also included in the double-decker trains. The dining room itself is located on the second floor. On the first floor there is a kitchen and a washing room. Ready meals are served upstairs by a special elevator. The same device is used to lower dirty dishes down. The restaurant hall is designed for 48 people. The bar can accommodate six people at the same time.
All double deck cars trains are assembled using special energy-saving technologies. They weigh only 64-66 tons. For comparison: the weight of a one-story building is 58 tons. At the same time, the capacity of the car of the new train is almost twice as large. The centralized energy saving system in such cars allows reducing energy costs by 35-40%.
In addition to the restaurant, this train includes a staff car. It is designed for only 50 passengers. At the same time, it has places for the disabled and their accompanying persons. Tickets for this carriage cost the same as for the others. However, beneficiaries have the opportunity to ride it for free.
The two-story structure is capable of developing great speed than single storey. You can get to your destination by 2-3 hours faster. A double-decker train is moving at a speed of approximately 160 km/h.
Cars in double-deck trains
Riding in such a train is not as convenient as in a regular one, but still it is quite comfortable. There is a special lift at the entrance to the double-decker cars. Disabled people have the opportunity to get inside the train without getting up from the wheelchair.
All double-decker carriages are equipped with air conditioning systems. The aisles inside the train are exactly the same width as in conventional trains. The stairs to the second floor are not too steep and are equipped with railings. A special mirror is installed on the intermediate platform. It is necessary so that ascending passengers see those descending, and traffic jams do not form on the stairs.
Each double-decker car (photo of the corridor can be seen above) is equipped with a temperature display. The conductor has the ability to monitor the order through a video surveillance system. It is much more convenient to move from car to car in a double-decker train than in a regular train. Nothing here rumbles or staggers (everything is absolutely sealed). Each double-decker carriage has three dry closets. Titanium s hot water is located not in the corridor, as in ordinary trains, but in the conductor's working room.
coupe
There are no reserved seats in double-decker carriages. Coupes are almost identical to ordinary ones. The difference is that they are equipped with 220 volt outlets. In addition, free Wi-Fi is available on the trains. Passengers have the opportunity, for example, to take a laptop with them and access the Internet. In this, the double-decker Russian Railways cars (the photo below shows the situation in the compartment) in terms of convenience, ordinary reserved seats, of course, are superior.
Some discomfort in the compartment of such trains is experienced mainly by those who bought a ticket to the top shelf. In this regard, a double-decker car (the photo inside it clearly demonstrates this) actually differs from the usual one not in better side. The fact is that the distance between the surface of the shelf and the ceiling is very small. Even though there is no top luggage compartment to sit down with legs dangling, the passenger will not be able to.
In general, the double-deck cars of the new Russian Railways trains are quite well equipped. But, of course, the budget composition cannot be too convenient. However, you can still get to your destination by such a train with relative comfort. Yes, and you will have to pay a little less for the fare than for a trip in a regular carriage.
Double storey passenger trains have already received a certain distribution in our country. For example, they can be found on the routes "Moscow - Sochi", "Moscow - Kazan", "Moscow - Samara". Last year, I traveled in such carriages several times, and today I will compare them in detail with one-story branded trains. ..
I'll start with the benefits double-decker train. Oddly enough, they are. :-)
Mainly, it is the price of the ticket. at the expense more capacity each car, it is lower than for a similar single-decker train.
For example, let's look at the prices for the train "Moscow - Kazan" on February 2:
If the ticket is in a one-story compartment branded train No. 002 costs 3672 rubles, then a similar seat in a double-decker train costs only 2075 rubles, which is comparable to the price of a reserved seat in a one-story train. Those. for the same money, you can go on a trip in a higher class.
SW in a two-storey building is also cheaper than in a regular one. There is no reserved seat in double-decker trains.
There are other "pros" as well. For example, in the compartment of a double-decker car there are as many as 2 sockets instead of one, and they are located not under the table, but in more accessible places:
You can also note the containers for separate waste collection, which I have not yet seen in single-deck cars: 
There is, however, the question of how the garbage is taken out of them: with the preservation of the division or not, and where it goes in the future - I don’t know. But the very fact that people are taught to sort is already a blessing.
And now for the disadvantages. Unfortunately, there are more of them.
Let's start with ease of entry/exit. When you are with luggage or with a baby stroller - this is of no small importance. And here the double-decker train loses to its one-decker counterpart. Even if your ticket is in a compartment on the first floor, when entering the car, you have to go down a few steps, the floor level is lower here: 
The passage to the second floor looks like this: 
Do not forget that getting out of the car at the end station will most likely take longer, simply due to the fact that the capacity of a standard double-decker car is almost 2 times higher than a similar one-decker car: 64 people instead of 36.
Of course, the height of a double-decker car is not 2 times higher than a single-decker car, but about 1.5. Due to this, passengers have less space to live. The top shelves on the ground floor look like this: 
The severity of the problem is not very clear from the photo, so I’ll clarify that an adult cannot sit on the top shelf! There you can only sit or lie down. And climbing onto such a shelf is also extremely difficult, the probability of hitting your head on the ceiling is very high. :-)
In single-deck cars, there are no such problems, and even more so.
And, in my opinion, this is the main drawback of double-decker cars. I don't want anyone to get a ticket with a top seat..
How such a disgrace could appear in a carriage designed and built in the 21st century is beyond me. After all, in single-deck cars there is a convenient panel with a full-length folding top, with several convenient compartments:
Why was it necessary to return to these nets from the Soviet past? Mystery!
A few words about toilets. There are 3 of them in a double-decker car. Of course, bio, i.e. parking lots are closed. But by simple arithmetic operations, we get that in a one-story car there is 1 toilet for 18 passengers (there are 2 of them), and in a two-story car for 21 people. Those. the probability that he will be busy in the morning when you go to brush your teeth is higher in a double-decker train.
There is no traditional "titanium" with boiling water in double-decker cars: 
Instead, there is an ordinary, office cooler in the compartment of conductors. Who cares, for me this is also a minus - what kind of romance is now with a cooler? :-)
In double-decker trains, the ticket price does not include hot meals, as in many single-decker branded trains. There are only small sets
So I saw double-decker cars. And in this short review I tried to remain objective as possible.
Ceteris paribus, in the future I will choose single-decker trains, but in the case when I need to save money, I will probably prefer a double-decker compartment car to a single-decker reserved seat. Still, in my youth, I "ate" a reserved seat for many, many years to come. And it seems like Russian Railways plans to eventually abandon reserved seat cars at all - I think this is the right vector of development.
Basically, if you choose lower places, then by and large there is nothing criminally unpleasant in double-decker cars. Yes, they lose in nuances, but someone will be able to make a trip in a compartment instead of a reserved seat for the same money.
P.S. Yes, I almost forgot about one cool and indisputable advantage of a double-decker car - there children can run in circles. Of course, this is much more interesting than back and forth along the corridor in a regular train. :-)
On February 1, a new double-decker train was launched; it will run every day on the route "St. Petersburg - Moscow" and in the opposite direction.
The train will depart at 22:50 and arrive at 6:47. Travel time is about 8 hours.
Ticket prices will be floating, as in air travel: the fewer tickets left, the more expensive they are. The minimum cost is 1,299 rubles, at this price they will sell about 200 seats, then about 300 seats at 1,699 rubles - and so on increasing. The most expensive, the last ticket will cost 3,299 rubles.
On the train 13 passenger cars and a dining car. There is only a “compartment” here - there will be no reserved seat, no SV. There are 64 seats in each car, which is twice as many as in a one-story car.
By the way, double-deck cars are made in Russia, at the Tver Carriage Works.
Conductor's office - here is the control panel for the car, a very interesting thing.
As in an airplane: control of the car's power system, climate, administration of the magnetic access system in the compartment (okay, the latter is not on the plane).
Video surveillance of the wagon.
All compartments are opened with a magnetic key.
Here, in fact, is the compartment itself, this is the second floor.
Individual lighting, 220 V socket.
The car has a radio and an air conditioning system. The radio volume can be adjusted.
Coupe on the first floor.
The bathroom is like on an airplane.
The composition includes a staff car, there are only 50 seats, but there is a compartment for the disabled and their attendants. It costs the same as a regular coupe, but beneficiaries ride for free.
The pictograms are duplicated for the visually impaired.
For the disabled, a specially equipped bathroom.
There is a bar and this is separate from the dining car.
This separate topic. Today, trains offer dishes no worse than restaurant ones; for this purpose, a huge room was equipped on the first floor of the dining car. And all the food goes to the dining room on the elevator, which can be seen in this photo.
And here is the hall itself (or, more precisely, only half of the hall is in the photo).
This is how food and dishes are delivered to the second floor.
I couldn't help but look at the prices on the menu.
Gradually, such cars will replace reserved seats on most routes. long distance. This will not happen before 2020.
