Aeroexpress, the company that operates commuter trains from Moscow's airports to the city, has finally launched double-decker trains. The inaugural service departed on October 27 from Moscow's Kievsky Station to Vnukovo Airport, reports Travel.ru.
The approximate schedule for double-decker trains in the near future is as follows: departures from Kievsky Station at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 15:30, 17:30, and 19:30, and from Vnukovo at 6:00, 8:00, 10:00, 16:30, and 18:35, according to Aviablogger.com. The line operates six-car trains, accommodating 616 passengers in standard class (seating in a 3+2 row arrangement) and 84 in business class (seating in a 2+2 row arrangement).
Unlike standard trains, all seats recline slightly. Business class seats have power outlets at every seat, while standard class seats only have eight per car, and they're located away from the step seats.
They are expected to appear on the Domodedovo line in the second half of November, possibly in a double-decker configuration of six and four cars. The four-car train will accommodate the same 84 business-class seats and 312 standard-class seats. There are no plans to send them to Sheremetyevo Airport, as the double-decker train is too bulky to pass under the bridge near Belorussky Station.
The double-decker trains, which Aeroexpress overlooked when ordering, have become a long-term headache for the company instead of a breakthrough. According to unofficial reports, due to the non-standard nature of this rolling stock, the carrier is currently having trouble even sending it to the depot for maintenance from time to time—Moscow's existing infrastructure is far from ready for double-decker trains.
The train ordering process itself also turned into a farce, though not through Aeroexpress's fault. After the ruble collapsed due to well-known political events, the company could no longer afford to pay for the entire order, and as a result, approximately half of the trains were sent to Azerbaijan and Georgia. Ultimately, the company received, as far as we know, 11 trains of four- and six-car configurations.
Nevertheless, despite the delays and problems, the double-decker train could represent progress for the company's passengers. It offers ample luggage storage, more restrooms than existing commuter trains, baby changing tables, and the like.
The new model's theoretical speed is also much higher—up to 160 kilometers per hour—but there's no place for the double-decker to demonstrate it in Moscow. No major schedule changes are expected for now. On the Vnukovo line, some trains will now run in 34 minutes instead of the previous 35, and one overnight trip will even take 33 minutes.
Source: travel.ru
