Russian Trains 101

A car conductor is checking tickets during boarding

Due to the size, landscape, and climate of Russia, trains evolved as the most reliable and effective mode of transportation.

Russia started building railways in the mid 1800s when steam locomotives became available. Since then, the network of train tracks has grown to connect not just the biggest cities in the European part of Russia, but the most remote places even in Siberia. The Trans-Siberian Railway stretched all the way across the country to the Far East, the geographic area by the Pacific Ocean.

Once I took the Moscow-Vladivostok train, which probably has the longest train route in the entire world - 7 days and 7 nights. Compared to that, the 9-hour train that I took from Moscow to my hometown is a short commute. :)

If you ever come to Russia, your cultural experience will not be complete without a train ride. And if you are lucky to have this opportunity, here is what you need to know about Russian trains:

1. Trains usually go from one big city to another, making just a few stops in towns and villages along the way. If you don't know this yet, Moscow is the center of EVERYTHING is Russia, and thus 90% of all trains go to and from Moscow.

A train is about to depart from one of the Moscow train stations

2. The railway system is set up the way that people normally board in the evening and sleep on the train all night before arriving at their destination  in the morning of the next day, or in 2 days, or in 3... and so on depending how far they go. So even though this arrangement makes trains go slower and your journey is longer, it usually does not matter as you spend the night sleeping on the train.

The ticket has your name on it and you have to show your passport when boarding the train

3. Russian train cars have "beds," not seats. Passangers can sit during the day on the berth, converting it into a "bed" for the night. A set of clean sheets is included in the price of your ticket, making it very easy for travellers as they don't have to pay cash on the train any more. You will have to make your own bed though :)

A double berth in a sleeping car

4. Be friendly with your fellow passengers, but not too friendly.  You will meet all kinds of people from all sorts of backgrounds on the train, and it is usually quite entertaining to study culture that way.  Generally, being too friendly and happy is not well accepted in Russian culture. So if you want to appear "normal," you have to mostly keep to yourself or... be a bit, well, rude. So it's better to keep to yourself, and it's also a smart thing to do for safety reasons.

This sleeping car is called "platzcart" which means it's an open car,
as opposed to the "kupe" car divided into 4-person compartments

5. Have a tea! Drinking tea is a 100% Russian tradition, and especially on the train. It will most certainly be served in the old-school Soviet glass - a glass in a metal glass holder. It's very good!

The car conductor will be happy to bring you a glass of tea :)

Overall, Russian trains are a lot of fun. It's the main mode of intercity transportation as flying in Russia is rather expensive for an average wallet and not so safe if you ask me. The Russian Railways are extremely extensive and cover the entire territory of Russia. And now that the really old and untidy cars have been swapped with the new and modern train cars, it has become much more pleasant to travel by train.

Poster dedicated to the 175 year history of the Russian Railways