RZD’s Federalnaya Passazhirskaya Kompaniya subsidiary (FPK), which runs most long distance passenger services on Russian railway network, is developing its suite of high quality international routes, building on the success of the Moskva - Nice train, which started running in September 2010. The next step, in December 2011 is to launch a Moskva - Paris train, to replace the through carriage that is used at present, running via Minsk, Warszawa and Berlin.
As from 29 May 2011 there are four instead of two Allegro train pairs daily between St. Petersburg and Helsinki (see R 6/10, p. 5). The first of the new departures on 29 May 2011 was train 33/152 from Helsinki at 06.00, and here we see train 39/158 formed by Sm6 7351 leave the Finnish capital on the 19.00 service that day.
Photo: Stanislav Voronin