Aeroexpress, the company that operates commuter trains from Moscow airports to the city, announced the launch of Stadler double-decker trains on the route to Sheremetyevo Airport. The carrier, however, remained silent about a number of inconveniences that await passengers on this route due to changes in rolling stock and schedules, reports Travel.ru's own correspondent.
Inconvenient platform. As a reminder, when double-decker trains were purchased several years ago, they were intended, among other things, for the Sheremetyevo route. However, it later turned out that Aeroexpress had forgotten about the overpass at Belorussky Station (the bridge between Tverskaya Street and Leningradsky Prospekt), which was too small to accommodate double-decker trains. As a result, the double-decker trains were relegated to the Vnukovo and Domodedovo routes.
The recent modernization of the line for the launch of the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD)—new commuter routes integrated into the Moscow public transportation system—has partially resolved the problem at Belorussky Station. As a result, double-decker trains can now travel to Belorussky Station, but only on the two middle tracks of the four existing ones.
This means that the most convenient route closest to the station, near Platform 4, which has been the standard for airport commuter trains, is closed to Aeroexpress double-decker trains. Double-decker trains will arrive and depart from the island Platform 5. As a result, passengers will no longer be able to walk from the station square through the Aeroexpress terminal to the train on the nearest route in just one minute. They will have to walk to the overpass, climb about fifty steps, and then descend to Platform 5.
Therefore, when planning a trip from Belorussky Station to Sheremetyevo, you should now allow approximately three minutes for the transfer to another platform. Passengers with heavy luggage should expect an additional five minutes. Aeroexpress does not specify in its schedule which trains will be double-decker (the first one took place on November 9). Currently, there are only a few daily departures, but by the end of the year, the company promises to completely switch to double-decker trains at Sheremetyevo.
Increased travel time. But these are far from all the problems awaiting Aeroexpress passengers at Sheremetyevo. New complications will arise with the launch of the first two MCD lines in late November or early winter. The schedule (and launch date) have not yet been officially published, but according to Moscow City Hall, travel time from Belorussky Station to Sheremetyevo could increase by almost half—to approximately 50 minutes instead of the current 35 minutes.
The mayor's office announced that, starting with the launch of the MCD, all Aeroexpress trains will depart from Odintsovo, near Moscow, instead of Belorussky Station, with the total travel time set to 89 minutes. Since the Odintsovo-Belorussky Station section, including all stops, takes an average of 35 minutes, the onward journey to Sheremetyevo will take approximately 50 minutes. This extended schedule is due to the presence of other MCD trains on the Savelovsky line. Until now, when creating schedules for Aeroexpress trains, the line was specifically "cleared" of regular commuter trains; with the launch of the MCD, this will no longer be possible.
True, the extended schedule will have some advantages—for example, the Aeroexpress stop at Savelovsky Station will reappear. Ideally, even more stops would be added in northern Moscow—the extended schedule allows for this—but this would almost completely convert Aeroexpress trains into regular MCD trains.
Short stop. Aeroexpress will continue to operate as MCD trains between Odintsovo and Belorussky Station, operating at standard city and suburban fares. According to the mayor's office, the stop at Belorussky Station will only last two minutes—during which time all commuter passengers from Odintsovo will have to disembark and all passengers at Sheremetyevo Airport with their luggage will have to board. The wide doors of the double-decker trains will likely allow this time to be met in most cases, but for Sheremetyevo passengers, boarding and disembarking at Belorussky Station will become much more stressful, in addition to the hassle of crossing the overpass. Furthermore, using all trains on commuter routes could lead to a gradual deterioration of the interiors.
Tariff problems. Another complication concerns fares. Three fare systems will effectively apply to the same route. Aeroexpress fares will apply to any trip to or from the airport (Aeroexpress passes are not valid beyond the station), while MCD fares and regular commuter Central Suburban Passenger Company fares will apply to the section from Odintsovo to Belorussky Station. Trips from the Odintsovo section to Savelovsky Station or Okruzhnaya Station will fall into a "gray zone." Technically, such trips are prohibited on Aeroexpress trains, but in practice, passengers may attempt to do so by taking advantage of the low MCD fare. It's possible that Aeroexpress will attempt to introduce ticket checks between Belorussky and Savelovsky Stations to prevent such trips, which is unlikely to please passengers traveling to the airport—especially those who expect to pay their fare directly at Sheremetyevo at the turnstiles. However, a more logical solution would be to simply officially allow such trips at MCD fares.
Vnukovo and Domodedovo. It's also worth remembering that Aeroexpress only has 11 double-decker trains, some of which are short four-car trains that typically operate in pairs. This means that Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports will be without double-decker trains by the end of the year. According to unconfirmed reports, Lastochka trains may replace them on the Vnukovo route. Aeroexpress's current Sheremetyevo trains will likely continue to operate to Domodedovo.
Aeroexpress passengers to Sheremetyevo will benefit from more comfortable trains, with power outlets at the front of the car next to individual seats. Passengers traveling to other airports will not be able to use these trains, but this and other aforementioned details are unlikely to receive many press releases or media coverage.
As a reminder, a month ago Aeroexpress launched an express bus route to Sheremetyevo. However, during the first month, it was quite unreliable, primarily due to the small number of buses on the route and chronic morning traffic jams at the Khovrino metro station, which added up to 20 minutes to the travel time into the city. It's unclear whether the situation has improved since then.
Source: travel.ru