Russian Railways plans to introduce new budget train cars for customers willing to endure a lack of air conditioning and toilets.
Federal Passenger Co., the subsidiary which runs long-distance passenger services for the state-owned Russian Railways, said in an annual report that it plans to upgrade a third of its 19,300 carriages by 2025. As part of the overhaul, the company said it will discontinue more than 5,000 carriages with an average age of 20 years by 2021.
“Before their complete disposal, old cars without air conditioners and bio-toilets are scheduled to be allocated into a separate temporary ‘economy-budget’ brand,” the subsidiary said in the report.
The Russian Railways development program for 2025 disclosed plans last month to start phasing out platzkart train cars — legendary Soviet-era third-class carriages with stacked beds — as early as 2019.
Instead, the carriages will be fitted with shower cabins, vending machines and USB slots, the Vedomosti business daily cited Russia’s biggest rail car maker as saying.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
![](["https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/K-BS7jAP_Pw\/maxresdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/K-BS7jAP_Pw\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/K-BS7jAP_Pw\/default.jpg","https:\/\/static.themoscowtimes.com\/img\/article_video.jpg"])
