Elektrichka

Elektrichka ER9 in Murom.

Elektrichka (Template:Lang-ru, Template:Lang-uk is an informal word for elektropoyezd (Template:Lang-ru, Template:Lang-uk, a Soviet or post-Soviet regional (mostly suburban) electrical multiple unit passenger train. Elektrichkas are widespread in Russia, Ukraine and some other countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2007, 4085 commuter trains a day (in each direction) were running on the Russian Railways network, most of them being electric trains.

The first elektrichka ride occurred on July 6, 1926 along the line Baku–Sabunchi (Azerbaijan).

Technical aspects

Obsolete EMU inside with wooden seats

Elektrichka is always an overhead line-fed electrical multiple unit train, consisting of usually 6 to 14 cars, with a driver's cab at both ends. The crew of elektrichka consists of a driver and an assistant driver.

Historically, the trains were produced at Riga Wagon Plant, Latvia (known under the ER, elektropoezd rizhskiy (Cyrillic: ЭР, электропоезд рижский) models designation). The company had been holding the whole market since 1950s. The most popular elektrichkas are ER-2 (Template:Lang-ru) and ER-9 (Template:Lang-ru), using DC and AC traction, respectively, and their variants and successors.

ER-2 and ER-9 trains always contain an even number of cars; out of each adjacent pair, one is equipped with motors, and the other carries pneumatic equipment. Cars with cabs carry pneumatic equipment. Motor cars are easily recognizable because of pantographs on their roofs. Not every car is equipped with toilets; in some trains there are as few as only two per train, near drivers' cabs. Each car has four automatic doors, with two on each side. When the train stops doors on the platform side open simultaneously. Doors may be equipped with stairs to allow for low station platforms. The doors are narrower than in metro trains.

With dissolution of the Soviet Union, some successor countries started production of the new models of elektrichka, but with only a limited success. Due to permanent underfunding in 1990s railways still continue to use existing trains, preferring to renovate them rather than replace. Consequently, most elektrichkas currently in use look very similar, differing only in livery (Soviet-time standard was dark-green with red stripes on the fronts and a yellow stripe alongside the train). Some newer models have wider doors. In Moscow area, Sputnik trains were introduced for express urban lines, having the technical background of an ER-2 but intended for other social niches.

Elektrichka is a low-comfort train with simple benches, each seating three, rowed adjoining the windows.

Spans between stations are usually relatively long, therefore elektrichkas also stop at numerous specially-built stops, known as platforms (Template:Lang-ru). Sometimes these stops consist of nothing more than a simple platform, sometimes shorter than the length of the entire train, and are located within unincorporated areas. Some platforms don't have a permanent personnel or even lighting. In some areas, elektrichkas stop at seasonal stops which have no structures at all (in forest areas these are colloquially known as mushroom stops because they are extensively used by mushroom gatherers).

Elektrichkas are maintained in special depots (Template:Lang-ru, motorvagonnoye depo, Template:Lang-ua, motorvahonne depo), where the trains are repaired and the train operators employed. However, neither elektrichkas nor their operators return to depots every day, instead being assigned to the end stations of the routes.

Socio-economic aspects

This template is misplaced. It belongs on the talk page: Talk:Elektrichka.

Elektrichka ED4 on station Moskva-Passazhirskaya Yaroslawskaya, Moscow

Elektrichka is an enormously important means of transport in post-Soviet countries.

First of all, elektrichkas provide the cheapest and easily accessible connection between the cities and the countryside of ex-Soviet nations. The railway network in these countries is well-developed, while bus services to towns and villages can be rare or unreliable. In addition, private car and truck ownership in rural areas is rare, while elektrichka is much more reliable and safe. This makes elektrichka a crucial life element for the dachniks and peasants trading their harvest on the city markets. Some areas also have their roads in poor conditions so railroads may have noticeable advantage in speed and comfort.

Elektrichka is a key method of suburban and commuter transport for megacities of the region, such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kiev. However, traffic congestion in these areas leads to frequent delays or even cancellations of elektrichkas. In working days, several hours in afternoon are reserved for track repairing works with no traffic on railroads. For these reasons solvent passengers in these areas often prefer buses or marshrutkas to elektrichkas. Also, reserved hours are usually from 1:00am to 5:30am (timespan may vary depending on area and schedule) and these hours may also be used for track maintenance or to allow high-speed trans to pass railroads without being constrained by relatively slow elektrichkas (which have moderate speed and stop frequently on numerous stations every 1–2 km or so).

The governments and railway companies of the respective countries pay much attention to elektrichka service. Although ticket prices are being raised, operational costs are still generously subsidized. Even with this subsidy, many passengers bribe controllers to avoid paying full fares. It is also sometimes fake controllers may be seen to pick money from passengers. In addition, large luggage and pets are often carried unpaid. Some elektrichka stops with low numbers of passengers may lack ticket offices at all. Although a ticketless rider, if caught, has to pay a normal fare, no fine may be imposed on them if they say they had boarded the train at such a stop. As the list of stops with no ticket offices is well-known, this is often used for fare evasion.

Bums, hoboes, vagabonds and other marginal people often use the elektrichkas for long-distance travel, because they are easy to pass without tickets and connect all major and minor stations. For example, it is possible to get from Moscow to St.Petersburg for free by five elektrichkas, with stops at Tver, Bologoe, Okulovka and Malaya Vishera. This method of travel is called "yezda na sobakah" (Russian: езда на собаках), literally - "dog-riding". Such mode of trevelling is often used by football fans. As for the real feral dogs, they also use the Elektrichkas for their seasonal migrations. In the summer some dog flights live in woods, hunting rodents, hares and badgers. However when the winter comes and the majority of small animals runs into hibernation, the flight moves by the Electrichcas to the city, where the dogs eat on dustbins or beg meal from people. 

On the other hand, elektrichkas can be uncomfortable, dirty and have a high rate of on-board crime. As of 2008 there is also new elektrichkas (generally on the most popular directions from Moscow and St.Petersburg) which are usually quite comfortable and some are even operated by private companies so they could also be quite safe, clean and good-looking. Such elektrichkas are usually high-speed, have quite few stops during travel, tickets are quite expensive and therefore such elektrichkas are usually serve as true intercity trains while cheaper ones often interconnect city and suburbans only.

The relsovyi avtobus (literally, railbus; Template:Lang-ru), or dizelnyi poezd (literally, diesel train; Template:Lang-ru; colloquially dizel, Template:Lang-ru, or motovoz, Template:Lang-ru) is a type of Soviet/post-Soviet commuter train similar to elektrichka. Technically, it is a diesel railcar, or multiple unit train of two or four cars, or a single passenger car hauled by a small diesel locomotive. Such trains are less widespread, however, due to the fact that the majority of track on Soviet railroads has been electrified.

In the most remote regions of Russia with no electrified railroads, the elektrichkas and dizels are replaced by short trains of 1 to 2 passenger cars and 1 to 2 cargo platforms, hauled by diesel locomotives, called Template:Lang-ru (bichevoz, literally - hobo train) . The cargo cars are often used by local hobos for free transportation. Also abandoned rail tracks are sometimes unofficially used by local population to travel noticeable distances. They use pionerka (Template:Lang-ru) devices (this word also means woman person who is "pioneer" on Russian). Pionerka devices are sort of self-made railroad draisine which is powered by motorcycle engine and allows to travel noticeable distance almost for free (except price of fuel of course).

Regional details

Russia

The production of elektrichka trains for Russian Railways was deployed in Demikhovo, Moscow Oblast.

Ukraine

Elektrichka EPL2T-010 (Luhansk-Donetsk) at Luhansk railway station

Ukraine, possessing a dense network of electrified railways, is supporting and developing its elektrichka system. As of May 2010, there is no region of the country not covered by elektrichka communication, excepr Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions which don't have electrified railways and use diesel trains. A typical elektrichka route is around 100 km in length and has stops every 5–10 km, which adds up to about 3.5 hours in total each way. It is possible to travel across the country by changing elektrichka trains two to three times. Tickets are cheap, though travel is uncomfortable. Most trains collect money on absence of ticket. It is possible to travel for free when on the stop one exits the cart where fares are being collected and goes to one where fares have already been collected.

At the same time, many Ukrainian elektrichkas are gradually turning to inter-city services. There are new direct lines such as the Kiev-Rivne route, which is around 300 km long. Such rail services resemble a hybrid between elektrichka and a traditional train of sleeping cars. Such new trains have a dramatically increased level of comfort, with fewer stops. The longest distances are for such comfortable electrichkas are Zaporizhya - Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk - Simferopol, Odessa - Khmelnitskiy, Odessa - Vinnitsya, Odessa - Kirovograd, Kyiv - Lutsk, Kyiv - Khmelnitskiy and Kyiv - Shostka, Lviv - Rivne, Lviv - Ternopil.

Ukrainian railways is looking forward to produce its own models of elektrichka (possessing all technical capabilities for it), but such efforts are limited by the unprofitability of the service. The only success for now is a deep modernization of the Riga trains conducted by local companies. However, the recently-opened elektrichka line in Debaltseve area is reported to be served by Ukrainian-made trains. Nowadays Ukrainian elektrichkas are produced in Lugansk at Luhanskteplovoz plant.

New electrichkas feature premium services like bar-cart and children's cart, but they are hard to find and only operate on major routes. The largest elektrichka depot of Ukraine, serving Kiev and surrounding oblasts, is situated in Fastiv.

Latvia

The main electric railway in Latvia is centered in the capital city of Riga. The first electrified trains connected Riga with the Dubulti station in the seaside resort of Jūrmala in 1950. By 1970, the electrification extended westward towards Tukums. Used largely by commuters, the railway also has branches extending to Jelgava, Skulte and Aizkraukle. Parts of Latvia that are outside the Riga region are served by diesel trains. Upon restoring independence, the Latvian government removed the Soviet seals that appeared on many of the older green trains. The second largest train station in Riga, named after Soviet partisan Otomars Oškalns after World War II, was renamed Zemitāni, as it was in the 1920s to 1940s.

Because plans for a subway for Riga fell through in the 1980s, the railway remains the fastest way to travel around the city and its vicinity. Currently Riga Wagon Plant is reconstructing these trains and are planning to make brand new trains which would replace Elektrichka trains until 2012.

see also: Latvijas dzelzceļš

Slovakia

Električka (elektrichka) is the Slovakian term for tram.

The name is also used for the light electric railway Tatranská elektrická železnica (TEŽ, Tatra Electric Railway) in the Tatra Mountains, from the towns of Poprad and Starý Smokovec.

See also: sk:Tatranská elektrická železnica

Cultural significance

Being a social symbol in Soviet Union and Russia, elektrichka is the subject of some pieces of art and literature. Poslednyaya elektrichka (The Last Electrichka, Template:Lang-ru), a song with music by David Tukhmanov and lyrics by M. Nozhkin), used to be very popular in the Soviet Union. Performed by various Russian singers (including Vladimir Makarov, Eduard Hil, Muslim Magomayev, Vadim Mulerman).

As usual you and me have been standing till late night.

As usual, it was not enough.
As usual, your mother called you home, and I went to the railway station.
The last elektrichka ran away from me again, and once again,

walking along the railtracks, I am making my way home.

The rock band Kino used the gloomy image of a morning elektrichka to depict the atmosphere of fear and apathy in the society. The song bearing the same title was released on their first album, 45.

In the tambour, it's chilly but at the same time warm

In the tambour, the air is full of cigarette smoke, but at the same time it's fresh
Why do I keep silent, why am I not shouting? I am silent.

The elektrichka is taking me where I don't want to go.

Important scenes of some popular Soviet movies take place onboard elektrichka. For example, the female protagonist of the famous Moscow Does not Believe in Tears movie meets her love interest in an elektrichka on her way returning home to Moscow from a dacha.

Venedikt Erofeev's novel Moskva-Petushki is based around a travel using elektrichka.

Riddle about elektrichka: "long, green, smells like sausage". This reflects the fact that during late 1980-s when long queues at food stores were very common in Russia (so-called deficit), it was common to carry large amounts of some difficult-to-find products from regional centers like Moscow (where it was easier to find these) to one's home location, usually by elektrichkas.

See also

• Transport in Russia
  • Russian Railways
• Transportation in Ukraine
  • Ukrzaliznytsia
• 101st kilometre
• List of suburban and commuter rail systems

Technical details

• Rail terminology
• Overhead lines
• Regional rail
• Limited-stop

External links

• Template:En icon Ever Take an Elektrichka? (a travel report)
• Template:En icon Types of trains operated by Latvian Railways (including pictures and short info on the two ER models of elektrichka)
• Template:Ru icon Massive photogallery of elektrichkas in post-Soviet countries (sorted by model; all models, angles and liveries available with descriptions)
• Template:Ru icon An amateur guide for elektrichka travellers&fans in the post-Soviet countries (including schedules for all national railways, travel tips, history section etc.)
• Template:En icon Elektrichka in Ukraine (a guide to the Ukrainian Elektrichkas)