Strizh (train)

The Strizh (Russian: Стриж, lit. 'Swift') is a Russian locomotive-hauled, low-floor, high-speed express train.

Strizh
In service	2015–present
Manufacturer	Talgo, Transmashholding
Family name	Talgo (Talgo 6)
Formation	18 passenger cars, 2 diesel-generator cars
Capacity	414 (short-distance train) 216 (long-distance train)
Operators	Russian Railways
Lines served	Moscow Railway Gorky Railway
Specifications
Car length	13.88 m (45 ft 6 in) (passenger car) 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in) (diesel-generator car)
Width	2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) and 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Height	4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
Floor height	760 mm (29.9 in)
Platform height	200 mm (7.9 in) and 550 mm (21.7 in)
Maximum speed	200 km/h (124 mph)
Weight	667 t (656 long tons; 735 short tons)
Prime mover(s)	EuroSprinter; EP20
Electric system(s)	3 kV DC/15 kV 16.7 Hz AC/25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
UIC classification	1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1
Safety system(s)	KLUB-U
Track gauge	1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Russian gauge convertible Variable gauge Talgo to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

Strizh Train
0 km 0 mi Berlin Hauptbahnhof Spree River 3 km 2 mi Berlin Ostbahnhof Berlin–Görlitz Railway Ostbahn Berlin Outer Ring Flakenfließ 113 km 70 mi Frankfurt (Oder) Oder River Germany Poland Wrocław–Szczecin Railway 136 km 85 mi Rzepin to Gubin Obra River to Leszno to Kluczbork 292 km 181 mi Poznań Główny Warta River to Szczecin to Zheleznodorozhny Zalew Wrzesiński to Oleśnica and Gniezno Kanał Warta Gopło to Ruda Śląska and Bydgoszcz to Piła to Łódź Bzura River to Skierniewice Rawka River Utrata River to Katowice to Kraków to Praga Vistula River 476 km 296 mi Warsaw Wschodnia to Warsaw–Gdańsk Railway to Łuków Świder River to Dorohusk and Krusze to Radom to Lublin and Warsaw Zielawa River 685 km 426 mi Terespol Bug River Poland Belarus to Pogranichnaya 692 km 430 mi Brest-Tsentralny to Sushitnitsa Schabinka River to Luninets Yaselda River to Byelaazyorsk Hryuda River Shchara River to Bukhlichi and Lida Neman River Volchkovichskoye Vodokhranilishche to Maladziečna 1037 km 644 mi Minsk to Gomel Svislach River to Minsk National Airport Berezina River Nacha River Adrou River to Krychaw and Lepiel 1249 km 776 mi Orsha to Mogilev and Vitebsk Orshitsa River Belarus Russia Berezina River, Russia Smolensk-Vitebsk Line 1369 km 851 mi Smolensk to Bryansk Khmost River Vop River Vopets River Dnieper River Vyazma River to Kaluga Sezha River Gzhat River Moscow Greater Ring Moskva River Moscow Central Circle 1788 km 1111 mi Moscow Belorussky 0 km 0 mi Moscow Kursky to Kursk Moscow Central Circle to Ryazan and Moscow Kazansky to Korolyov Vokhonka River Moscow Greater Ring Moscow Greater Ring Klyazma River Bolshaya Lipnya River Peksha River Vorsha River Koloksha River 191 km 119 mi Vladimir Nerl River to Ivanovo Klyazma River 255 km 158 mi Kovrov to Murom Klyazma River Seyma River 408 km 254 mi Dzerzhinsk to Ruzayevka 442 km 275 mi Nizhny Novgorod

Main information

The trains have been running between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod since 1 June 2015 and between Moscow and Berlin since 17 December 2016. On the Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod line, they make 1 to 3 stops, linking the two cities in 3 hours 35 minutes (when they only stop in Vladimir). The cars are pulled by an EP20 locomotive.

In 2016, Russian Railways also connected Moscow and Berlin using the Strizh. The travel time between the two cities is a little over 20 hours.

Lines

The Strizh train currently operates on two lines:

• Saint-Petersburg – Samara (via Moscow, Vladimir, Kovrov, Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas, Saransk, Syzran)

Previously the train was in operation on international line:

• Moscow – Berlin (via Smolensk, Minsk, Brest and Warsaw)
• Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod (via Vladimir, Kovrov and Dzerzhinsk)

Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod line

The Strizh trains run between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod since 1 June 2015. They make 1 to 3 stops on the line: in Dzerzhinsk, Kovrov and Vladimir. The travel time between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod is between 3 hours 35 minutes, when it stops only in Vladimir, and up to 3 hours 50 minutes with 3 stops. The cars are pulled by an EP20 locomotive.

Another fast train, the Lastochka ("Swallow") operates on the same line but makes 6 stops: in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Vladimir, Kovrov, Vyazniki, Gorokhovets and Dzerzhinsk, travelling between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod in 4 hours 6 minutes.

Running of Strizh trains in Russia was terminated in March 2022 due to sanctions.

Moscow – Berlin line

The Strizh trains were in operation between Moscow and Berlin since 17 December 2016 to 15 March 2020. Later this international route was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closing of borders between countries. The length of the line was 1,896 km (1,178 mi).

The initial schedule was 2 trains per week, between Moscow Kurskaya and Berlin Ostbahnhof, linking both stations in 20 hours 14 minutes westbound (instead of 24h 49min previously) and 20 hours 35 minutes eastbound (compared with 25h 56min previously). The trains left from Moscow on Saturdays and Sundays, and from Berlin on Sundays and Mondays. They made intermediate stops in Smolensk, Orsha, Minsk, Brest, Terespol, Warsaw, Poznań, Rzepin and Frankfurt (Oder).

The Strizh trains to/from Berlin left and arrived at the Moscow Smolenskaya station (also called Moscow Belorussky) instead of Moscow Kurskaya. Between June 2017 and June 2019, some modernization work on a 100 km (62 mi) railway section between Warsaw and Poznań will force the trains to take a detour which will make the trip longer. After this renovation the speed limit will be 160 km/h (99 mph) on all the length of this section.

Moscow and Berlin were also connected once weekly by the non-Strizh trains from the Moscow–Paris line, which depart from Moscow on each Wednesday evening and from Berlin on each Saturday morning. These trains, using RIC wagons, link both cities in about 24 hours.

• A departure of the Strizh train hauled with EP20 electric locomotive from Kursky Rail Terminal in Moscow
• A trip in a long-distance version of train from Moscow to Berlin
• A Strizh train on the Saint Petersburg — Samara line hauled with EP20 locomotive

Media

Locomotives, used in operation

• 
  Electric locomotive EP20 with Strizh train
• 
  Electric locomotive EP2K with Strizh train
• 
  Diesel locomotive TEP70BS with Strizh train

Interiors

• 
  An open coach with 1st class seats
• 
  A couchette car with 2nd class places
• 
  A bar car
• 
  A dining car

See also

• Sapsan
• Lastochka

External links

• Video coverage of the Moscow-Berlin link launch in 2016
• New Swift international train makes first journey with passengers from Moscow to Berlin