A ride in a reserved seat carriage is the most popular type of travel in Russia on long-distance rail transport. This is a relatively cheap way to get from St. Petersburg to Moscow with inexpensive service in 8 hours for people with average incomes, students. Platzkart cars are equipped in almost all long-distance trains in the Russian Federation. Depending on the status of the train itself (new, old or branded), reserved seat cars differ in the degree of comfort.
In the second-class carriage of Russian Railways, 54 berths are equipped, grouped by 4 in each compartment. 18 of them are side shelves located in the aisle of the train. All shelves are divided into lower and upper ones. Each compartment is equipped with a folding table, hooks for clothes, places for things located under the bottom and above the second shelf.
The passage extends between the side and transverse flanges from one end of the car to the other. Toilets with washbasins are located on both sides of the car. In branded trains, they began to make two toilets at once only on one side. The conductor's compartment is located on the side of the entrance. There is a boiler with hot drinking water next to the conductor. You can buy tea, sweets from the guide, ask for a glass for tea or coffee.
Each compartment has a radio and almost always ventilation. The volume of the radio can be changed if the neighbors don't mind. Open compartments, do not close. Branded trains sometimes have extra storage space in the form of shelves and even have lighting for each seat. But more often than not, such additional features are the prerogative of "coupe" type cars.
Each top shelf is equipped with the necessary equipment to protect against falls from the top. Most often this is a handle that can be lowered as unnecessary. Each shelf has a mattress, pillow and woolen blanket. All this can be used if you have a purchased set of bed linen.
The upper bunk is the most convenient choice for those who prefer to sleep a lot on the train and do not like to be disturbed. There is no special ladder to climb to the upper shelves. On each side of the shelves there is one step, standing on which and pulling up, you need to get to the top shelf. Therefore, if you doubt your physical abilities, then buy a ticket to the lower shelf.
You should carefully choose your seat in the carriage. The floor of a shelf can be identified by its number: the lower shelves are all odd numbers, the upper shelves are even. You can use the layout of the seats in the carriage when buying a ticket through the website. The numbering starts from the entrance vestibule along the left compartment and then back along the side shelves. Thus, the side shelves begin from number 37. Rooms 34-38, 1-4, 53, 54 are located close to the toilet area and exits, so they are the least comfortable because of the smell and noise from the doors in the aisle.
