| EVS1/EVS2Sapsan | |
|---|---|
 Siemens Velaro RUS (Sapsan) en route from Moscow to Saint Petersburg | |
| In service | 2009–present |
| Manufacturer | Siemens |
| Family name | Siemens Velaro |
| Formation | 10 / 20 cars |
| Capacity | 604 / 1208 |
| Operators | Russian Railways |
| Lines served | October Railway Moscow Railway Gorky Railway |
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 250 m (820 ft2+1⁄2 in) |
| Car length | 25.535 m / 24.175 m |
| Width | 3.265 m (10 ft8+1⁄2 in) |
| Height | 4.4 m (14 ft5+1⁄4 in) |
| Floor height | 1.36 m (53.5 in) |
| Platform height | 1,100–1,300 mm (43.3–51.2 in) 200–550 mm (7.9–21.7 in) (EVS2 only; delivery in 2015 onward) |
| Maximum speed |
|
| Weight | 667 t (656long tons; 735short tons) |
| Traction system | Asynchronousinduction motors |
| Power output | 8,000 kW (11,000 hp) |
| Tractive effort | 328 kN (74,000 lbf) (starting) 296 kN (67,000 lbf) @ 97 km/h (60 mph) (continuous) |
| Electric system(s) | EVS1: 3kVDC EVS2 (dual voltage units): 3 kV DC /25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead catenary |
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| UIC classification | Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′ +2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′ |
| Safety system(s) | KLUB-U |
| Track gauge | 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in)Russian gauge |
TheSapsan (Russian:Сапсан,lit. 'Peregrine Falcon'), also known asVelaro RUS EVS, is aRussian gaugehigh speed electric express train. The train is aSiemens Velaro model, which in turn is based on theICE 3M/F high-speed trains manufactured bySiemens Mobility forRussian Railways (RZD). The trains started regular service on theSaint Petersburg–Moscow Railway in December 2009,[1][2] at a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and journey time of four hours betweenMoscow andSaint Petersburg.
On 22 March 2022, following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Siemens suspended its contract to supply additional trainsets,[3] as well as announcing it would end maintenance and other services from 13 May 2022, withRussian Railways stepping in to continue their maintenance.[4][5]
On 18 May 2006,Siemens andRussian Railways signed a €276 million order for eight high-speed trains[6] with a 30-year service contract worth around €300 million.[6]
The trains were ordered to connectMoscow withSaint Petersburg[7] and laterNizhny Novgorod at a speed of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). They are derived from the GermanICE 3 train but with bodies widened by 330 mm (13.0 in) to 3,265 mm (10 ft 8.5 in) to suit Russia's wideloading gauge.[8] Four of the trains (EVS2) are equipped for both 3kVDC and25 kV 50 Hz AC operation. The total length of each ten-car train is 250 m (820 ft 3 in), carrying up to 600 passengers.
Development and construction were carried out by Siemens atErlangen andKrefeld in Germany. In August 2009, it was announced that the fifthSapsan had been delivered to Russia, of the eight that were planned.[9]
Four single-voltage ("EVS1", 3 kV DC powered, trainsets 5-8) trains entered passenger service at the end of 2009 on theMoscow – St Petersburg route, with the dual-system trains (EVS2, trainsets 1-4) entering service on theNizhny Novgorod route on 30 July 2010.[10]
Sapsan set records for the fastest train in Russia on 2 May 2009, travelling at 281 km/h (175 mph)[11] and on 7 May 2009, travelling at 290 km/h (180 mph).
On 19 December 2011, a €600 million order for an additional twenty trainsets including eight EVS2 sets[12] was signed in order to facilitate an increased number of services on existing lines and the expansion of new service elsewhere in the system.[13][14] The second-batch EVS1 sets (trainsets 9-20) will be same details as the first-batch EVS1 sets, but the second-batch EVS2 sets (trainsets 21 onward) will have retractable steps suited for low platforms, unlike the first-batch EVS2 sets.
According to the timetable valid from 30 October 2011, the direct train from Moscow to St Petersburg without intermediate stops needs 3 hours 40 minutes, the train from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod 3 hours 55 minutes.
Introduction ofSapsan initially caused cancelation of affordable daytime trains between Moscow and St Petersburg. Since the end of 2012, Moscow – St Petersburg daytime trains other thanSapsan have been running again.
Newbridge crossings were built,platforms along the railway were reconstructed and an additional track was completed in 2015. NewLastochka commuter trains were introduced on the Moscow – Tver[15] and St Petersburg – Bologoye routes. Local trains in the rural areas were saved.[16][17]
Top — single-system train of theEVS1 series with direct current of 3 kV (versionB1)
Bottom — dual-system train of theEVS2 series with direct current of 3 kV and alternating current of 25 kV and 50 Hz (versionB2)
From 1 July 2018, a new class of service will appear in Sapsan carriage № 4 (14) — basic with a reduced cost and without additional services. According to the project, the carriage will have 66 seats.[18]
The first and the only (since 2015) route forSapsan trains.
Moscow (Leningradsky railway terminal) –Tver (756A, 762A, 770A, 778A, 780A) –Vyshny Volochyok (758A, 768A, 776A) –Bologoye (756A, 762A, 770A, 778A, 780A, 784A) –Uglovka (758A, 760A, 768A, 778A) –Okulovka (758A, 760A, 768A, 778A) –Chudovo (756A, 758A, 768A, 776A, 780A, 784A, 786A) –Saint Petersburg (Moskovsky railway terminal)[19]
There are noSapsan trains stopping at all stations on the route. The fastest ones do not stop between Moscow and Saint Petersburg at all. Numbers of the trains which stop at intermediate stations are listed above. Such measures were implemented to increase speed.
| Termini | via | Termini | Length | Average journey time | Train numbers | Date of introduction | Train type |
| Saint Petersburg—Moskovsky | Chudovo—Moskovskoye,Okulovka,Uglovka,Bologoye—Moskovskoye,Vyshny Volochyok,Tver,Kryukovo | Moscow—Leningradsky | 650 kilometres (400 mi) | 4 hours 00 minutes | 751—757 759—770 772—780 | 17 December 2009 | EVS1, EVS2 |
Former route ofSapsan trains. Since 2015, new TalgoStrizh trains were introduced. All of theSapsans were subsequently used on the Moscow – St Petersburg route.
| Route | Length | Train type | Cancellation reason | Service period | Replaced by… |
| Moscow—Kursky -Nizhny Novgorod—Moskovsky | 440 kilometres (270 mi) | EVS2 | Increase in the number of flights on the Moscow-St. Petersburg route | 30.07.2010 — 01.06.2015 01.03.2018 — 01.06.2022 | Strizh (2015) Lastochka (2022) |
On 1 March 2018,Russian Railways reopened the discontinuedSaint Petersburg –Moscow –Nizhny Novgorod route which allows passengers to take an 8 hour 11 minute journey without a train change in Moscow.[20]
| Route | Length | Train type | Reason for cancellation | Service period | Replaced by… |
| Saint Petersburg—Moskovsky -Nizhny Novgorod—Moskovsky | 1,090 kilometres (680 mi) | EVS2 | Due to technical limitations, speeds greater than 160 km/h on the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod section were not possible | 30.07.2010 — 01.06.2015 | — |
On 1 July 2012, the Russian Railways company introduced a new tariff system forSapsan trains which dynamically prices tickets based on two factors:
The new rates range from 0.8 to 1.2 times the base rate for the day. It is possible to see the final price of a ticket for a specific date during the booking process.
