Russian Railway's Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod high-speed rail line will begin using a train produced by Spanish company Talgo on June 1 instead of one made by Germany's Siemens, a press release by the state rail monopoly said Wednesday.
Talgo's high-speed train, to be called Strizh or "Swift" in Russian, will travel up to seven times a day from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, making the distance in 3.5 hours. The line is currently serviced by Siemen's Sapsan train, which makes the trip in roughly the same time.
Siemen's Sapsan train will be moved to the Moscow-Saint-Petersburg high-speed line, which they have operated since 2009.
Russian Railways did not say why they had switched to Talgo's train over Siemens.
First class tickets on the Strizh line start at 2,850 rubles ($52) while second class tickets start at 900 rubles ($18). Deluxe sleeping cars with two beds cost upwards of 6000 rubles ($120).
The train fares will vary depending on the season, the day of the week and demand. All carriages are equipped with air conditioning and free internet access.
Russia's high-speed rail transport system has expanded steadily since its launch 6 years ago. The first high-speed train in Russia started regular service between Moscow and Saint Petersburg in 2009, and a Moscow-Helsinki line launched in 2010.
Russia also plans to build a high-speed rail link from Moscow to Kazan in 2020 and has even discussed building a rail line between Moscow and Beijing.
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