Eurasia (train)

ESh2 Eurasia (Russian: ЭШ2 «Евразия», also Evrazia) is the name of the "Stadler KISS" double-deck high speed electric express trains. These trains used by three operators — Russian Railways and Aeroexpress,^[1][2] Azerbaijan Railways and Georgian Railways.

History

In 2014, due to the growth of passenger traffic on the routes connecting urban stations to airports, Aeroexpress has signed a contract with Stadler AG: a contract for production of 25 double-deck TGV-based Stadler KISS family—16 4-car set and 9 6-car version. The cost of all 118 cars is 385.31 million euros. According to the production plan, the first three trains will be fully assembled in Altenrhein where there is scientific and practical center Stadler. Assembly of the remaining 22 trains will be implemented in the new plant of the company in Minsk.

For the first time, in early February 2014, the body of the motor car trains for the future was presented at the plant in Altenrhein. In August 2014, the plant produced the first six-car train ESh2-001, which was soon sent on the ferry to Klaipeda. In October 2014, the train arrived in Minsk for acceptance, commissioning tests. In November, its presentation took place in Moscow's Ilyich Train Depot; soon the second train arrived. Both trains were painted red with black bands at the level of the windows. Later, due to lack of funds caused by the decline of the ruble against the euro, Aeroexpress has further delayed the purchase of new electric trains. As a result of this funding crisis, the delivery of the first two trains manufactured in Belarus has never been carried out, and the third train was taken on the ferry to Lithuania and finally sent to Fanipol in April 2015.

13 May Azerbaijan Railways ordered 4 trains of this type.

Tests

During the testing of the trains, they made a number of experienced travels without passengers on routes Shcherbinka–Moscow, Shcherbinka–Kubinka and Moscow–Vladimir.

In the period 2015–16, the gradual introduction of the trains in regular operation is planned on the Moscow Railway as Aeroexpress trains from Belorussky, Kievsky and Paveletsky railway stations to airports Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo.

Variants

A GRS «Eurasia» train of Georgian Railways

The variants of Russian bilevel EMUs would be:

• DC sets with high doors (existing);
• DC sets with high and low doors;
• AC sets with low doors; and
• AC/DC sets with low doors.

The high doors would be accessible with the 1,100 mm (43.3 in) platforms, while the low doors would be accessible with the 200 mm (7.9 in) platforms and the 550 mm (21.7 in) platforms. The AC sets and the AC/DC sets cannot have high doors, due to the main transformers would locate on the high floor areas.

Photos of interior

• 
  Entrance
• 
  Stairs to 2 deck
• 
  Stairs to 1 deck
• 
  1 class car
• 
  2 class car
• 
  Cabin

Videos

• 
  Testing of ESh2-001 train on railway circuit in Shcherbinka
• 
  Presentation of ESh2-002 in Shcherbinka

References

Links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eurasia (train).

• Photos on Trainpix.org
• Photos on Parovoz.com
• Evrazia on Aeroexpress website

High speed trains in Russia
Diesel powered	TEP80
Turbojet powered	SVL (ER22 EMU car based turbojet train, experimental)
Electric powered	ER200 EP200 EP20 Sokol Sapsan Allegro Lastochka Eurasia
Locomotive haulage	Nevsky Express Strizh