On the Russian trains

Friday 27th July 2018

My first time on a train in Russia was last nights overnight sleeper to Moscow from Cheboksary. I chose the most expensive option, a First class cabin to myself which came with an evening meal & private shower/toilet.

It took nearly 13 hours todo the 474 miles including some extended stops, it has to said that this particular track is in a similar condition to the roads as it lurched along 🙁 eventually I fell asleep only to wake up as it was parked in a sidings somewhere where it then sounded as if they were dismantling the undercarriage with a hammer 🙁 Fitbit however thought I slept fine for nearly 7 hours including over 1 hour of REM sleep so maybe it was just a dream 🙂

The station I arrived at in Moscow was only across the street from Lenin Station and with the bike already in a bag I thought I would get the St Petersburg express train to Bologoye ready for a local train to Ostashkov first thing tomorrow all went smoothly in the ticket office if somewhat expensively 🙁 In Lenin Station while waiting I had an excellent breakfast at the bakery.

The expensive ticket was somewhat ameliorated by a 2000 Ruble credit in the buffet car 🙂 The track is a lot smoother than the overnight train but still not up to Japanese rides so just as well the train only gets up to 138mph

In Bologoye one of the station workers took me under her wing helping me to get tomorrow’s ticket including the supplementary charge for baggage! She then showed me the station hotel 3 floors above the ticket office a good buy at 1,000 roubles per night and right where the one train a day leaves at 6am tomorrow.

Hopefully the freight trains etc won’t keep me awake tonight although the first 17 years of my life my bedroom overlooked a freight line & occasionally express passenger trains.