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500 Free Trains Will Shuttle Fans During 2018 World Cup

Lyubomov Andrei / Moskva News Agency

More than 500 long-distance trains will move football fans for free between the 2018 World Cup host cities next summer, Russian Railways announced in an online statement on Thursday.

The fan trains will be made up of second class coaches, equipped with air conditioners and restaurant cars. High-speed Lastochka trains and two-storey trains will also be put to service during the football tournament.

The two-storey trains will service routes between Moscow and St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara and Adler, while the Lastochka trains will serve passengers between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod.

Fans need to have a ticket to a World Cup match and Fan ID to be eligible to use the free trains.Fans were able to start booking their free tickets as of Oct. 30, the World Cup transport directorate announced this week.

A similar free train system was in place during the 2017 Confederations Cup, but with nearly half the number of trains in use.

The 2018 World Cup takes place between June 14 and July 15 in 11 Russian host cities.

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