October 02, 2021

Faster Than a Speeding Sapsan


Faster Than a Speeding Sapsan
Russian Railways (RZhD) platform in Moscow.

It used to take eight hours to get from Moscow to St. Petersburg by train, often overnight.

In 2009, Sapsan came along and cut that time in half.

In 2026, the trip will be 2.5 hours.

What will the new railway be called? What flies faster than a sapsan (peregrine falcon)?

According to the internet, nothing. Oops; they used the name Sapsan too soon.

Perhaps they will consider Cheetah (Gepard; the world's fastest land animal) or Sailfish (Parusnik; the world's fastest sea animal).

Sapsan moves at a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), frightening passengers when it overtakes and whips past one of those old-style slow trains still on the tracks, with a space between them of what appears to be a few inches.

Some Sapsan routes make stops between Moscow and St. Petersburg, while the fastest ones make no stops at all . . . for hopefully obvious reasons.

The new train may have a maximum speed of about 350 kilometers per hour (217 miles per hour).

The new track will be 680 kilometers (422 miles) long. It will depart from Moskovsky Station in the center of St. Petersburg, from whence trains to Moscow depart now.

After completion of the initial line, high-high-speed trains will go to Nizhny Novgorod as well.

Those who can only afford the cheap seats will still be able to buy them, as not all trains will be Speeding Cheetahs or Speeding Sailfish.

 

You Might Also Like

Tips for Russian Train Travel
  • July 30, 2019

Tips for Russian Train Travel

There may be no better way to understand Russia than spending a few days chugging across the country by train. Here are our tips for how to make the most of it.
Your Trip To The U.S.S.R.
  • September 12, 2021

Your Trip To The U.S.S.R.

Let's take a trip to a nation that no longer exists! We've got an old hard-cover travel guide to lead the way. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955