Monthly Archives: January 2015

Odd sights onboard Russia’s Sapsan train

The flagship train of the Russian Railways is the Сапсан (Sapsan) – with a maximum speed of 250 km/h it links the capital of Moscow with Saint Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod in half the time of normal trains. However this is Russia, and what you find inside may amuse.

Sapsan train passing through the suburban station non-stop Continue reading

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Keeping ice off the overhead wires

In a land of freezing cold winters, it isn’t just the tracks that get covered with snow – ice builds up on the overhead lines used to power electric trains, acting as an electrical insulator to prevent the pantograph contacting the wire, which interrupts the flow of current and creates a shower of sparks. So what issues does that cause to rail operations?

електри́чка (suburban electrical multiple unit) train outside the city of Ясинувата (Yasynuvata) Continue reading

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