On October 12, 2020, a ceremonial event was held to launch a new double-decker train connecting Murmansk to St. Petersburg, 1,450 kilometres away. This is the first passenger train to cross the new bridge over the Kola River. The modern train brings an improvement in terms of service quality.
“Today, on the 105th birthday of Murmansk station, it receives as a symbol and as a gift a new double-decker train on the Route Murmansk – St. Petersburg. This gift allows the residents and guests of the region to quickly and easily reach the northern capital and return home. This is also the first passenger train to cross the new bridge over the Kola, which we rebuilt in record time after the collapse on May 30, 2020. We also plan to change the appearance of the station itself and the station square,” commented Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region.
The line from St. Petersburg to Murmansk is the thirteenth line in Russia served by double-decker trains. The expansion and replacement of old vehicles on the route is due to the increase in passenger traffic. Annually, more than 600,000 passengers travel by train to and from Murmansk, 30% of them on the route to St. Petersburg.
The train has 11 carriages with double or quadruple compartments, a restaurant car and seats for passengers with reduced mobility. Such a train can accommodate 602 passengers, 34% more than a single-storey train. With an increase in passenger traffic, the system can be expanded to 16 carriages, which can accommodate 914 people.
Double-decker wagons are not inferior to the traditional ones in terms of comfort and equipment. Depending on the class, they are equipped with double or four-guests bed compartments, which are accessed via individual magnetic key cards. Today, such a composition offers a high degree of travel comfort. All cars are equipped with modern multimedia systems, microclimate and safety control devices. The journey from Murmansk to St. Peterburg takes about 24 hours.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal
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