Russian Railways (RZD) is set to launch new dual formation Sapsan trains on a rail route connecting Moscow and St Petersburg, in order to cater to the increasing demand for high-speed transportation.
A contract to supply eight high-speed Sapsans was signed by RZD and Siemens in December 2011. Siemens also agreed to maintain the trains for a period of 30 years.
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Four of the eight trains have already been delivered and are currently undergoing certification tests.
The new dual formation trains with 20 carriages will begin operating on the Moscow-St Petersburg route from 1 August.
The trains will have two bistro wagons, space for disabled passengers and the people accompanying them, as well as a service for unaccompanied minors.
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The passengers will have an option to choose from three ticket classes, including first class, business class and economy class.
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By GlobalDataEach Sapsan train can accommodate 1,050 passengers.
In June, RZD procured the first batch of 100m head-hardened R65 DT-350 rails from Russian steel company Evraz.
The move forms a part of the modernisation project by the Evraz rail and beam mill, which received an investment of roughly RUB18bn ($514.31m).
Image: A Sapsan (Siemens Velaro Rus) train en route from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. Photo: courtesy of Mika Stetsovski.
