"Swallow" was developed by the German company "Siemens". The total number of cars is 5, and the length of the entire train is about 130 meters. This model can reach speeds up to 160 km/h. A regular train has two cars with a motor and three without it.

The high-speed electric train "Lastochka" is in demand and very popular with many residents. Russian Federation. It runs in many directions, both between small towns and to the capital. Compared to other electric trains, Lastochka has a very attractive and modern appearance, a comfortable interior, comfortable places, carriages are equipped with clean and modern toilets. In addition, it has specially designated places for people with handicapped.

About the train

The Lastochka electric train began to run on its routes in the winter of 2013-2014, namely from the city famous for its white nights - St. Petersburg. The train was also awarded a very interesting nickname - "Olympic". Why exactly? Yes, because the period when the "Swallow" began its existence fell on the Winter Olympic Games taking place in the city of Sochi. Then it was decided that this electric train should carry passengers traveling to cheer for their national teams, as well as those people who came from other countries and cities.

In some period before the Olympics, Lastochka was in demand among those who participated in the Universiade, which was held in the city of Kazan in 2013. In addition, guests were transported by train from the local airport to the city itself and in the opposite direction - from the city to the airport. At the present time, the train still travels daily on this route.

Location of seats

If passengers want to quickly and comfortably get to a certain settlement, the Lastochka high-speed intercity train will help them, the carriage diagram of which is shown in the photo below, and tickets can be purchased at the station box office.

Description of wagons and operation

This train is operated in two versions:

• 5 wagons - with a small flow of people.
• 10 wagons (5 + 5 double train) - in the event that the number of people exceeds the norm and you need to add another train. This may depend on the direction of the Lastochka, or on weekends or holidays.

If the composition is not doubled, then the total number of passenger seats is 409, 30 of which have folding backrests, which makes it more comfortable to get to the desired point, and 4 of them are designed for wheelchair users.

In the first and sixth cars there are about 56 seats for ordinary passengers, and 2 seats are for people with disabilities, where wheelchairs can easily fit without interfering in the aisle. In addition, the cars have an additional 9 seats, the back of which leans back, and this makes it possible to reach your destination with even greater comfort.

In the second and seventh, third and eighth, as well as the fourth and ninth cars, the number of seats is 103. 99 are ordinary seats with folding backs. The seats are arranged in two rows of three sections, each with 2 and 3 seats. The fifth and tenth cars repeat the scheme of the first and sixth cars.

High-speed train No. 732 "Lastochka", the scheme of which is shown in the photo, is comfortable for traveling. As already mentioned, the cars are equipped with toilets, places for luggage, seats for passengers and conductors. Also in the cars there are hangers and sockets (not at every seat), as well as vestibules with smoking areas.

"Swallow Premium"

There is a composition of the high-speed train "Swallow", made in a more improved version, called "Swallow Premium". The difference between the first (regular) train option and the second one is that the train has both economy class and business class cars. In the second type of car there is a slightly smaller number of seats, which are arranged in two chairs facing each other, and tables are located between them. Near each seat there are sockets, hangers and trash containers that are attached to the table itself. In addition, each carriage has enough space for luggage. "Swallow Premium" provides convenience to passengers during the trip.

The carriages of the "Lastochka Premium" are somewhat different from those of the regular "Lastochka" train, the scheme of which shows a total of 423 seats. There are 331 of them in the "Premium" train. This gives even more comfort and convenience to passengers during the trip. Each Lastochka Premium carriage has video monitors that show the air temperature in the carriage and outside, the day and date, the schedule, how much time is left before arrival at a particular point.

Schedule

Every day, the high-speed train "Swallow" (the scheme of the car is in each of them) runs in different directions from early morning until late at night. Each direction has its own detailed train schedule, some changes may be made to it, but find out exact time departure or arrival of the train is possible only by purchasing a ticket or contacting the information desk.

Trip to Nizhny Novgorod

The Lastochka train runs along routes with the aim of delivering as many passengers as comfortably as possible to their destination. Scheme of the train "Swallow" ( Nizhny Novgorod- final destination) shows in which cars there are places for them, which places are with folding backs. Also in the timetable along the route you can see all settlements which the train passes.

As you can see in the photo, the high-speed train "Swallow" (the scheme of the car is available to everyone for viewing) is quite spacious. Armchairs are arranged in 2 and 3, there are shelves for luggage, hooks for clothes and a scoreboard on which you can see where and where to this moment the train departs, as well as the date, time and other information.

Train tickets

At this stage, the Lastochka routes are carried out in the following directions:

• From St. Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod.
• From St. Petersburg to Bologoye.
• From St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk.
• From Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod.
• From Moscow to Kursk

The high-speed electric train "Lastochka", whose car layout shows the location of passenger and luggage seats, is also in great demand in the southern territory of the country. In the Sochi region, a 5-car train runs from the airport to Krasnaya Polyana. In addition, there are a number of cities that "Swallow" will help you get to with convenience: Dagomys, Lazarevskoye and Tuapse.

You can buy train tickets at any working ticket office of the station, or you can book any free seats via the Internet, and in the second case there will be a 5% discount. If a ticket is purchased via the Internet, passing control when boarding a train, it is necessary to have a passport and a printout of this ticket with you.

Road to Kursk

The scheme of the train "Lastochka" (Kursk) practically does not differ from the scheme of "Lastochka" plying in other directions. The schedule describes in detail the route from one end station to another. For example, leaving Moscow at 12 noon, a Premium class train passes 7 stations - Serpukhov, Tulua-1, Tula, Mtsensk, Orel, Zmievka, Ponyr - and reaches Kursk. Accordingly, the stations on the Kursk-Moscow route follow in reverse order. "Swallow" (the train map will inform passengers about the class of the selected car) is a quick and convenient way to get to the point you need.

Approximately, the average time between these stops takes from 25 to 50 minutes, and the journey itself from one end station to another takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes. During the movement, the train makes stops, the time of which is from 2 to 6 minutes. The price of a ticket on this route from the starting to the final station does not exceed the amount of 2600 rubles.

Special offers

Passengers who have bought a ticket for the high-speed train "Lastochka" (the layout of the seats will indicate where are even and where are odd) can take advantage of a 15% discount, which is valid from Monday to Thursday. On other days, the ticket price is slightly higher - this is due to the large flow of people who are in a hurry to go home, to the country house or to visit someone.

In addition, students who use the services of this vehicle can receive a 30% discount from Monday to Friday. On weekends, the ticket will cost at full price. Retirees and the disabled are also entitled to certain benefits.

Road to Smolensk

The scheme of the train "Lastochka" (Smolensk) will also give full information about the composition and will help to make the choice of the most comfortable place. Leaving Moscow around 7 am, the train passes Mozhaisk, Gagarin, Vyazma, Safonovo and Yartsevo, then arrives in Smolensk around 11:30 am. The journey takes about 4 hours 30 minutes, the time of stops at the stations is from 2 to 17 minutes.

The train leaves Smolensk for Moscow at 7:30 and arrives at noon.

This post will tell about the electric trains Siemens Desiro Rus (Siemens Desiro Rus) "Lastochka" (ES1), which from January 23, 2013 began to operate regular flights with passengers on the network of Russian Railways.
Siemens Desiro Rus trains are primarily purchased to provide transportation during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Also (in the future) - to improve the quality of regional transportation on the network of Russian Railways.
The Siemens Desiro Rus electric train is a two-system, high-floor, five-section (five-car) train. The design speed of the electric train is 160 km/h. Such electric trains can be operated in a combination of two trains - a total of 10 cars.
On January 23, 2013, the operation of these electric trains with passengers on the route St. Petersburg - Bologoye / Veliky Novgorod began. Thus, two coupled five-car trains follow from St. Petersburg-Glavny station to Chudovo station. In Chudovo there is a decoupling (on the way back - coupling) of trains and then each of the trains follows its own route - to Veliky Novgorod or to Bologoye.

More details about the order of the new electric train, with the scheme of wagons, schedules, etc. can be found in the documents below - partially scanned booklets of JSC "RZD" about the launch of the high-speed electric train "Lastochka" (they are clickable).

01. general information about the electric train "Lastochka", its first route and the procedure for buying tickets

02. Schedule of electric trains "Sapsan" and "Lastochka"

03. Scheme of the polygon for the circulation of high-speed trains of Russian Railways and the fare on Lastochka on the route St. Petersburg - Bologoye / Veliky Novgorod

04. Scheme of cars of the electric train "Lastochka".

So far, I have made two trips on the Lastochka electric trains.
On January 23, 2013, the day these electric trains were opened, I rode in ES1-009 from Tosno to St. Petersburg, and on January 26, 2013, I took the ES1-012 electric train along the full route from St. Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod and back.

I must say right away that I expected a lot more from the new electric train. Therefore, this is the title of this post. Also, due to the specifics of my work, I used to consider many things critically. I did not ignore this train, considering it from the point of view of a very picky passenger. Some estimates are based on the experience of traveling on trains of a similar class in Europe and even the Republic of Belarus.
So let's start.
First, a few photos of the general view of the electric train ES1 "Lastochka" from the outside.

05. A raft of electric trains ES1-009 and ES1-010 at the St. Petersburg-Glavny station (Moskovsky railway station) after arriving from the first flight with passengers from Bologoye and Veliky Novgorod. January 23, 2013

06. Electric train ES1-012 at the station Novgorod-on-Volkhov. January 26, 2013

Well, now let's move on to the evaluation of the electric train.
High-floor electric train. It is clear that the main ranges of circulation of these trains have high platforms, but in European countries, high-floor trains have not been made lately. Yes, the "Swallow" has regular exits to low platforms - in the form of a retractable ladder. But this staircase with small steps and with the absence of any handrails. So the Olympians leaving this train on a low platform will quite possibly continue their participation in the Paralympic Games... What can we say about ordinary, especially elderly, passengers...

07. Pay attention to the level of the floor of the train and the level of the platform. In Veliky Novgorod, in Tosno and at the Moskovsky railway station, one had to step up about 30 centimeters into the train car. Either the platforms are wrong everywhere, or the train itself.

Next item. You need to board the train and, accordingly, find your car. You are looking for the number of the car... Intuitively, this is done on the electronic information board... ...where you do not find the number of the car.

08. Outdoor information board. Not available on head cars (sections)

The next point is boarding an electric train car.
The train arrives and stops. You go to the nearest door, you press the address button and the door... ...doesn't open. Because in the composition of 5 cars there are only two conductors and only two open doors(when landing). Accordingly, you have to run (in conditions of a minute stop) to the nearest open door...
If it turned out that the button for the targeted opening of the doors worked, the door opened, but there was no conductor behind it (the door was not blocked for some reason), there is a person right there who puts you out of the car and demands to go to the door with the conductor.
Why it is impossible to apply the European system of boarding passengers to all doors with a later check of tickets on such trains - I will not know. This is also supported by doors that automatically close after a fixed time after they are opened. Therefore, the conductor, when boarding passengers at the station, needs not only to check the tickets, but also to instantly prevent the doors from closing many times.

10. One of the doors of the electric train "Swallow". In the center of the door is a green button for targeted door opening. There are no vestibules on the train, and, accordingly, there are no smoking areas. Smoking is prohibited on this electric train, which is also written on the ticket.

So, you got into the car and start looking for your place.
The seats in the electric train are arranged according to the 2 + 3 scheme. There are seats both opposite each other (most of them) and one behind the other (there are much fewer of them), plus folding seats.
I did not find any problems with the numbering of places. Seat numbers are listed under the luggage rack. Seats by the window have an odd number, all other seats by the aisle, in the middle and folding - even. The place located at the window is marked with the corresponding icon.
There are hooks for clothes under the strip indicating the places. The beauty of these hooks is that they can be moved along the entire window to a convenient place for you. About the reliability of coat hooks, I can only say that they turned out to be not strong enough for me - the operation will show.

11. Numbering of seats in the car of the electric train "Lastochka", hooks for clothes

Now let's go through the composition a little and look at the salon, some types of seats and the bathroom.

12. Salon of the head car. The head cars of the train are designed, among other things, for the transportation of persons with disabilities. The carriage has space for wheelchairs. In the head cars there is also a huge bathroom. In the photo - the usual passenger part of the head car

13. The seats, as I said, are mostly located opposite each other, but there are also seats one behind the other. The seats are soft, red and blue, and the arrangement of the multi-colored seats is chaotic. This is quite interesting - the eye is not washed out. There are armrests between the seats. There is no seat back adjustment. The distance between the opposite seats, in principle, can accommodate two people of medium proportions. But if the train is full and all the seats are occupied, then you can’t stretch your legs during a long ride - this is a significant minus for such an arrangement of seats in an electric train that is planned to be operated on regional lines.

14. This is a reclining seat. While the sale of such folding seats is closed. But, as far as I know, tickets to Lastochka will soon be sold for these seats too, and at the usual rate without discounts.

15. A huge bathroom - especially for people with disabilities. Dry closet, washbasin. The door opens manually in a semicircle. For some reason, when leaving Veliky Novgorod, everything was fine with a bathroom, but halfway to the city, in front of the entrance to it, the indicator "Only for service personnel" lit up ...

16. Amazing folding seats - like the top side shelf near the toilet in the reserved seat. Not only that, there are no windows, but also those who want to go to the toilet will walk on your feet. I can't say enough about the smell.

17. And these are ski racks. Still, electric trains are planned to be operated at the Winter Olympics.

18. Garbage bin next to the doors. Its capacity is several half-liter bottles.

19. Stand with information booklets, magazines and newspapers. It is also located at the door, planted with glue on a glass partition.

20. Salon of an intermediate car of an electric train. There are many, many seating places for people without limiting their capabilities.

Let's smoothly move on to the issue of information notification of passengers.
Each carriage has several running lines. In two languages ​​(Russian, English), the running line shows the destination station, the route of the train, the air temperature overboard, the current time, date, and the speed of the train.
And if during the trip on January 23, 2013 from Tosno to St. Petersburg, the ticker worked perfectly, then on the way to Novgorod there were significant inconsistencies with the notification of passengers ...
It is still not at all clear why the number of the car in which the passenger is currently not written on such a running line is not at all clear. A trifle, but annoying.

21. Running line in the car of the electric train "Swallow"

When traveling to Novgorod on January 26, 2013, the ticker worked ambiguously.
Although the train has two destinations - Bologoye and Veliky Novgorod, only Bologoye was indicated on the running line, which was very embarrassing for some passengers. After Chudovo, the next stop was Malaya Vishera. Directly to Veliky Novgorod, judging by the information board, the train wanted to go only after the double train had uncoupled at Chudovo station, and at first they announced the departure of the train from Chudovo towards St. Petersburg.
Also, all the way back and forth, the time on the information board did not correspond to the actual one - it was exactly two hours behind it ...

22. Information board in the head car. The train runs at a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

You got on a train and, let's say, you need to recharge mobile phone. There are not many sockets on the train - 8 pieces per car. But this is not interesting, but the location of these sockets: look at the next photo.

23. One of the characteristic locations of the outlet in the carriage of the Lastochka electric train.

The socket is located... ...in the area of ​​the luggage racks. Let's imagine an outlet, a tee included in it and several chargers ... For me, the number of outlets and their location do not correlate with the class and purpose of such a train.
But that's okay. Let's say you still plugged the charger into the socket, connected your phone to it and... ...you have to hold it in your hands, since there are no tables in this train as a class, and the "sill" by the window has beveled position - do not put anything on them.
Together, I consider these parameters to be a huge omission in the design of this train in terms of passenger comfort and the quality of travel.

24. Numbering of seats, hooks for clothes, a hammer for emergency window breaking.

What else can be said about this train:
1. There are manual doors between the train cars. Sufficient force is required to open the doors. I have repeatedly seen that these doors cause significant difficulties for their opening, for example, for girls, or for the elderly.
2. Inter-car crossings are not airtight enough and they are simply cold. Also, this cold spreads to the part of the car adjacent to the transition. And so, in principle, the presence of inter-carriage doors is not clear - in the Stadler-Flirt train, the joint is sealed and there are no doors.
3. The floor of the inter-carriage passage causes significant difficulties for the transfer of "technological equipment" - for example, mobile kiosks selling coffee, food, etc. To this is the need for the simultaneous opening of two relatively light inter-carriage doors.
4. Heating, as in electric trains of the ED4M series, can be carried out by a stream of cold air from a passenger sitting at the window.

For the above reasons, I would give this train a rating of "3+".
Of course, this is a new era in the development of electric trains in our country. But such trains are more pleasant to see, and they are more consistent in their parameters with the usual suburban traffic rather than interregional. Taking into account the fact that the speed of 160 km / h can be developed in our country on a limited number of sections, this train can only benefit from its "two-system" - the ability to work from networks of both direct and alternating current. On regional lines, the operation of such trains over long distances will simply be inconvenient for passengers.
In general, on this train, I would note for myself the following, possibly incorrect, conclusion - the German build quality for the ordered, not the best and in many ways harmful Russian layout (configuration) of the train. All the same, this train is not of the European level. It is better than anyone out there already 20 years ago, obsolete ED4M, but not that wonderful that could be obtained with a relative minimum of additional costs relative to the "Swallow".
Well, the level of "service" from the personnel serving the train remains at the eternal level of "Russian Railways". Such is the "Poor" Swallow ".

Now a little directly about the route "Swallows" Petersburg - Veliky Novgorod.
The fare on this route on the "Lastochka" is 400 rubles, which is only 30 rubles more expensive than a regular train - it's just wonderful. The only thing is that you have to buy a ticket with your passport.
The travel time of the train from St. Petersburg to Chudovo is very drawn out - you can safely throw out about 20 minutes. The maximum speed of 160 km / h, and indeed the speed above 130 km / h, the train developed only for short periods of time. There was an impression that an ordinary electric train ET2M would be able to pass according to such a schedule.

In conclusion - a few tickets for the high-speed trains "Lastochka"

I do not pretend to be complete, unbiased in this post about the Lastochka electric train, but this is my impression. Many estimates have been made based on comparison with the Stadler-Flirt electric train.
Thank you readers for your attention :)

Those who travel frequently and plan to travel by high-speed train either from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow or vice versa are advised to read this article before buying a ticket. Now I'm just sitting on a cramped chair high-speed train Swallow, it's only been 30 minutes since departure, and I already want this trip to end as quickly as possible. Why? Read my review and you will understand a lot.

Impressions of a trip on a high-speed train Swallow would not be complete without comparing it with another high-speed train - Sapsan. I have ridden it many times and in principle the impressions were the most favorable. In any case, if I were offered to travel from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod or back on a regular train to reserved seat car(compartment is better, but much more expensive), or on the Swift, then I would choose the Swift.

Why? It's faster, somehow more modern, just 4 hours and you're at home. Anything is better than listening to someone's hysterical snoring or coughing all night, and then getting up rumpled, sleepy and angry.

But if I were offered a choice between an ordinary train, even in a reserved seat car, or a high-speed train Lastochka, I would not choose Lastochka.

Perhaps this is my purely nitpicking subjective opinion, but I really think so, and now I will try to give facts and give some recommendations if you still decide to go Swallow.

Disadvantages of the high-speed train Swallow

The first thing that caught my eye and stung unpleasantly was the arrangement of the seats. Maybe things are different in other cars, but in my car number two, almost all the seats are turned towards each other, like on an ordinary electric train. On the one hand two in a row, and on the other - three. Sit all the way and look at your neighbor. It's sometimes stressful.

Keep in mind that, unlike Strizh, in Lastochka, window seats are not the best choice. The fact is that there are hooks for outerwear on the luggage rack. When passengers hang their jackets, coats and sheepskin coats on these hooks, it becomes crowded to sit by the window. To top it off, some outerwear items emit a characteristic and not so pleasant smell. Driving for four hours next to someone's fragrant coat - a pleasure, frankly, below average - I checked it out for myself. Of course, this problem occurs only in the cold season. She won't bother you in the summer.

The next unpleasant surprise is the seats. They do not lay out in the Swallow. True, in Strizh they also unfold quite a bit, but this is better than driving all the way in an upright position like a stump. In their desire to take a nap at least a little, passengers sometimes take very bizarre poses. Moreover, there are folding tables in the backs of the seats of the Swift. For example, you can put a laptop on the table and work or watch a movie. The pocket in front of the standing seat can also be very useful. For example, I hung my tablet on it (for the hinged cover of the case - very convenient) and watched movies without holding the device in my hands. In the swallow, the seats are back to back and that says it all.

Another ambush is luggage racks. They are very small and I, for example, did not have enough space to put my backpack there. Unlike the train in Lastochka, the luggage shelves do not close, and all the way I watched with bated breath when, finally, an unsuccessfully placed raincoat would finally fall from the shelf on the opposite side of the car onto the heads of sleeping passengers. Here they will rejoice.

Nevertheless, I noticed one very useful thing in the Swallow - electrical outlets on the luggage racks. True, there are very few of them, about one outlet for 12-14 seats. Here the principle works - whoever took the outlet first, he recharged. True, there are also sockets in the cars of the Sapsan train, but they are located at the entrances to the cars - only two per car (at least, I counted just that many). You put the tablet on charge like this, you go to your place, and then you come and ... When I asked if tablets are often stolen here, the Sapsan guide said that everything is under cameras here. In fact, the consolation is weak. Someone can grab your tablet and get off at the way station. I don't think cameras will help in this case.

Go ahead. In Swallow, unlike Sapsan and Strizh, there are no TVs on the ceiling. There is not even a radio that you can listen to by plugging the headphone jack (free) into the seat armrest. Here, to paraphrase a well-known proverb, the entertainment of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. In principle, you can read a book, listen to a player, watch a movie on a tablet, but if you didn’t take anything on the road, get ready to be bored for several hours. Especially if you are traveling at night, it is pointless to look out the window - a bright light is on in the car and the windows only reflect the atmosphere of the car to you. In addition, the windows may be tightly hung with jackets and coats of other passengers.

In Swallow, unlike Sapsan and Strizh, there is no way to use WiFi. Of course, on the one hand, you can live for four hours without the Internet, but for some it is very annoying - it was evident from the faces of the passengers. If you go by Swallow - prepare some kind of SIM card with the Internet "everywhere".

Advantages of the train Swallow

Now, for the sake of objectivity, I would like to note positive side Swallow trains.

Let's start with the fact that the carriages are quite clean and light. These are not dirty electric trains with a barely glowing single light on the ceiling. Bright lighting creates a certain atmosphere of comfort and at least some semblance of civilization.

The cars are clean, there is no carpet on the floor, but it is covered with some kind of anti-slip layer. Going to the toilet also left the most decent impression. True, there are clearly not enough toilets on the train, but they are large and designed even for disabled passengers. In contrast, in Sapsan, the toilet is slightly larger than in an airplane. That is - go in - go in, but there is almost nowhere to turn around.

In the cars of the high-speed train Lastochka, air conditioning is operating - the temperature was maintained at about 25 degrees. I sat in a T-shirt and felt comfortable. I immediately remembered my long trip to the city of Shakhunya from Nizhny Novgorod. The temperature outside was about minus twenty degrees, I think it was no more in the train cars. In Swallow with air temperature everything is in order.

Another fact that will seem to someone a minus, someone a plus. The wagons carry carts with drinks and food. On the one hand, if you were unable to eat before the trip, then such a cart can be regarded as a salvation. But at the same time, get ready to pay a round sum for a small snack. I remember once I decided to order some tea and some cake for myself in Sapsan. Tea was served in bags, and the cake was the most ordinary, which costs twenty rubles in the store.

For this bold experiment with a snack in Sapsan, I remember that I paid about two hundred and fifty rubles. In Lastochka, prices are about the same. But you don't have to order anything. You can proudly reject the offer of conductors, and then your budget will not be undermined.

The train goes pretty fast compared to the usual. It cannot be said that I constantly followed the scoreboard, which displays the speed of movement, but the highest speed that I noticed was 155 kilometers per hour. True, Sapsan goes even faster. In some sections, it accelerates to 180 km / h, and it becomes incomprehensible why both he and Lastochka travel from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow in the same time. Here it is worth noting that the Sapsan goes more smoothly. The swallow, apparently, is lighter, or its suspension is arranged somehow differently, but it dangles from side to side sometimes so much that I start to miss the keys of the laptop.

Conclusion

Despite the positive qualities of the Swallow high-speed train, it, of course, does not reach Sapsan in terms of comfort. With a difference in ticket price of about three hundred rubles, the choice in favor of Lastochka, in my opinion, is justified only because of the more convenient departure and arrival times in your particular case, or if you still decide to save a little.

As for me personally, I think this is my first and, hopefully, my last trip on the Swallow high-speed train. All the same, the comfort is worth paying a little more for it.

You may be interested in:

In September we covered the way from Novorossiysk to Rostov-on-Don on the high-speed train "Lastochka". Details, my impressions, and also about the shame of Russian Railways under the cut ...

To begin with, I want to note that I love trains. Much more than airplanes, and I often travel on them.
But this "Swallow" I did not like.

When the question arose of what to go to Rostov, there were options to take ordinary train long distance or try the same "Swallow". On "Sapsan" and other domestic high-speed trains (there are "Swifts" and "Swallows"), I have not been able to travel before. And the price of a ticket for an electric train was lower than for a regular train. Therefore, we chose "Swallow".

Travel time is just over 6 hours. In fact, this is important, since there are only seats on the train.

When I bought a ticket on the Russian Railways website, did I have a choice - economy or business class? I looked at how the business differs, here is a screenshot:

First of all, I was attracted by the fact that there is a diet, because after 6 hours on the road, the appetite will make itself felt ...

But not everything is so simple with Russian Railways, as it turned out.

But let's go in order.

"Leather chairs with adjustable backrests, individual lighting and a socket between the chairs"
Yes, everything here is true. This is how the Lastochki business class car looks like from the inside:

Armchairs and indeed leather (although the type of skin remained a mystery to me), with high backs. The adjustment lever is located on the side:

But the setting itself is kind of weird. In fact, this is not a backrest adjustment, but a pillow adjustment, because by raising the lever, you can move the entire chair forward, as it were, i.e. the pillow lengthens, and the back becomes lower. The chair seems to slide down. I'm not sure if this adds comfort, it still won't work to lie down ...

I liked the layout of the car. First, there are different places. If you want to sit alone, you can choose a single seat by the window. Both are also possible. The four of you choose seats around the table. Very good!

Tables, by the way, with folding sections are convenient:

There are indeed sockets between the seats, but at first we didn’t notice them and used the one upstairs, under the luggage rack:

"Self-service area (tea and coffee)"
In fact, there is nothing like this in the Swallow business class car! How so? And so - no, that's all. Not even boiling water! After him, you have to go to the next car, where the cooler is installed. Russian Railways - not a test!

"Diet, soft drinks, press"
When we set off from Novorossiysk, I approached the guide and asked if they would be fed. The answer was negative. She showed me on my ticket the absence of the abbreviation "U1", which means the number of meals. But there is food in the description of the business class - how is it? It turns out that the description is common for all high-speed trains of Russian Railways. Whether there will actually be food or not - it is impossible to understand on the Russian Railways website until you buy a ticket. What a mess! :-(((
Yes, there were no soft drinks and the press either ...

But enough about the sad, let's see what else is interesting in the business class carriage.
First, there is a dressing room:


I'm not sure if it will be enough for all passengers, but in winter it will be relevant.

Secondly, there are 2 toilets in the carriage. The location is unusual: not from the edge of the car, as in long-distance trains, but in the middle part. One of them is located in close proximity to single places, and the second is opposite the dressing room. It is adapted for the disabled, sliding door:

At the beginning of the journey, everything is clean inside:

But you know what's the worst? The fact that there are no toilets in neighboring cars! Yes, yes, "Lastochka" consists of 5 cars, the travel time between the end stations is more than 6 hours, and there are toilets only in the first (business class) and fifth (economy) cars! Can you imagine this in 2017? This is the real tin! Even if you bought a business class ticket, people from neighboring cars will walk past you to the toilets and back all the time. And after 3-4 hours, the toilet with such a load will turn from clean into terrible.
It is also worth noting here that the doors between the cars are not automatic, as in modern long-distance trains. They are sliding, i.e. they have to be opened with two hands, it is almost impossible to do it with one. And if you are traveling with children or with an elderly or disabled person?

RZD, why are you doing this? Stop!!!
If the travel time is more than 3-2 hours, the toilets must be in everyone wagon!

Now about how this "Swallow" flies and rides.
Firstly, between Novorossiysk and Rostov, it makes about 9 stops:

High-speed to call this train on the section between Novorossiysk and Krasnodar language does not turn. Basically, it moves at a speed of 40-60 km / h, only occasionally accelerating to 85 km / h:

The information board hung very close to my chair, so it was possible to monitor the speed.
After Krasnodar we drive faster and once we give heat up to 140 km/h, but only once:

Stop times vary. From 2 minutes to 15. On some of them, the driver announces the parking time by speakerphone. Automatic parking doors do not open in all cars. This is also announced in advance. As I understand it, in this way Russian Railways is fighting "hares" ...

During the movement, an employee with a large cart walks several times from the beginning to the end of the train and offers drinks and sandwiches for additional fee. The most difficult thing for her is to move with a trolley from one car to another, why RZD car developers made such uncomfortable doors is a mystery to me. The air conditioning system works in the business class - at a temperature of +34 degrees outside, it was tolerable inside. True, for some reason the air conditioner was turned off a couple of times, but then, at the request of passengers, it was turned on again ...

It was hard for us to drive for 6 hours. Many passengers got off at intermediate stations. In Krasnodar, almost a whole carriage left, but immediately new passengers entered to Rostov ...

Why did the "Swallow" turn into a pig? First, because of the situation with the toilets. And, secondly. when turning, from the points of contact of the wheels with the rails, very characteristic sounds are made, reminiscent of grunting. Not even reminiscent, but almost copying. Yes, these sounds are muffled, but they are very distinguishable and cause ridicule from passengers. Want to listen to them for 6 hours? Then to you in "Swallow", in all other cases, from now on, I will prefer a long-distance train ...

P.S. I almost forgot: I would like to say words of gratitude to the staff of the Lastochka - the conductor of the business class carriage and the driver. They were the most polite. At the terminal station, the driver personally helped everyone get down from the car to the low platform. The conductor smiled when talking. This part worked well, well done!

The high-speed electric train "Lastochka" (Desiro RUS) was developed by the German company Siemens AG.

It consists of 5 cars, the total length of the entire train reaches 130 m. The electric train can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h. If necessary, for the transportation of passengers on days of peak demand, Lastochka (Desiro RUS) can be operated in a dual train (5 + 5 wagons).

"Swallow" is intended for suburban passenger traffic on railways RF equipped with high and low platforms.

Categories of seats in the carriages of the train "Lastochka"

Sit-down car (SID) superior comfort:

• BUSINESS class (1P) - with meals (car 5);
• ECONOMY-class (2P) - availability of sockets is guaranteed (3, 4, 5 wagons);
• SECOND class (3Ж) - (cars 1 and 2).

Features of the numbering of seats in the carriages of the train "Lastochka"

When developing the seat numbering scheme, the following factors were taken into account:

odd-numbered seats are located by the window, even-numbered - all the rest (middle, aisle, folding)

The layout of the cabin is 2 + 2 and 3 + 2 (on the one hand 2 or 3 seats, on the other 2).

Toilets are located in carriages No. 1,5,6,10, and special places for passengers with disabilities are provided in the same carriages.

When departing from St. Petersburg, the numbering of wagons starts from the head of the train. From the Chudovo-Moskovskoye station, cars from No. 1 to No. 5 (head) will go to Bologoye, cars from No. 6 to No. 10 (tail) - to Novgorod.

When traveling to St. Petersburg, the numbering of cars begins: from Bologoye from the tail of the train, from Novgorod from the head of the train (in Chudovo, the Novgorod part of the train changes direction). From Bologoye wagons from No. 1 to No. 5 will follow, from Novgorod from No. 6 to No. 10. On the section Chudovo - St. Petersburg, the head car will have No. 10, the tail car will have No. 1, i.e. the Novgorod part will be at the head of the train.

When departing from Moscow, the numbering of wagons starts from the head of the train.

When departing from Nizhny Novgorod, the numbering of wagons starts from the tail of the train.

Attention! At all stations, except for the final ones (St. Petersburg, Bologoye, Veliky Novgorod, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod), boarding trains is carried out only through cars No. 2,4,7,9.

From October 2014 they began to run trains "Swallow" of increased comfort (class "premium" (1C)).

In the new compositions of trains "Lastochka" operates two class of service, the number of toilets in the head cars has been increased (four per train), tables are provided, comfortable seats with adjustable headrests and armrests are designed for interregional transportation. Each pair of seats in the passenger compartment has a 220-volt socket; in the enhanced comfort cabin, 220-volt sockets are installed at each seat. In the fifth and tenth carriages of the train, seats No. 25 and 26 are intended for wheelchair users. The layout has changed, there are more chairs looking at the back of the head. Those seats opposite are separated by a table with folding table tops. Under each chair there is a lever, by lifting which you can push the seat forward a little. Each carriage has a cooler for cold and hot water. The first business class carriage is equipped with a dressing room and leather seats.A tea/coffee/snack trolley runs on the train scam.

In a single composition of the train "Swallow" class "premium" - 5 cars: car No. 1 - the first class of service (1C), cars No. 2,3,4,5 - the second class of service (2C). Cars No. 1 and No. 5 are equipped with toilets (two toilets in each).

There are 10 cars in a dual train: cars No. 1 and No. 6 - the first class of service (1C), cars No. 5 and No. 10 and cars from the second to the ninth - the second class of service (2C). Cars No. 1,5,6,10 are equipped with toilets (two toilets in each).

Transportation of small pets

Small pets are transported on Lastochka trains in special places for passengers with animals. No more than one seat per issued travel document and no more than two small domestic (pet) animals or two birds per seat in boxes, cages, containers, the sum of three dimensions of which does not exceed 180 cm.

For the transportation of small pets, dogs and birds in the high-speed trains "Lastochka" formed by the Directorate of High-Speed ​​Communication, a fee of 150 rubles is charged - a mandatory fee included in the price travel document. The fee is fixed.

Disabled guide dogs can be transported in carriages of all types. No shipping fee is charged and shipping documents are not issued. The guide dog must be collared and muzzled and be at the feet of the passenger it accompanies.