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EU's last direct train link with Russia is gone
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duesselmartin
Established Member
Not many exits from Russia. This affects more ordinary people who have nothing to do with the war or the Putin regime.
Austriantrain
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Seems it was a deliberate decision to keep it going to allow people who needed to leave Russia (Russians and everyone else) to be able to.
railwaytrack
Member
How ridiculous. All this will do is encourage more people to drive. If they can let cars drive across the border than why are they withdrawing trains. It is utter madness. The ordinary Russian people should not be punished and inconvenienced for what is not their fault and nothing to do with them. This is why i completely disagree with all these companies pulling out of Russia and sanctions on Russia and things like this. It only affects the ordinary Russians who are completely innocent. I wonder if these trains will ever return.
Although it is worth noting that the Belarus to Russia routes are still running at the moment so there are a few remaining cross border services left.
I believe these elektrichkas are still running:
• Orsha (Belarus) to Krasnoye (Russia) (for connections to the Krasnoye to Smolensk trains)
• Vitebsk (Belarus) to Rudnya (Russia) (for connections to the Rudnya to Smolensk trains)
I believe these long distance trains are still running:
• Minsk (Belarus) to Moscow (Russia)
• Minsk (Belarus) to St Petersburg (Russia)
Although i am not too sure what the status is of onward travel between Belarus and other countries. I know all of the trains to and from Latvia and Lithuania have been suspended since the start of the corona virus (so not related to the Ukraine situation) and i am unsure on the status of trains to and from Poland at the moment. There might not be any trains to and from Poland currently but i am not 100% sure.
Although it is worth noting that the Belarus to Russia routes are still running at the moment so there are a few remaining cross border services left.
I believe these elektrichkas are still running:
• Orsha (Belarus) to Krasnoye (Russia) (for connections to the Krasnoye to Smolensk trains)
• Vitebsk (Belarus) to Rudnya (Russia) (for connections to the Rudnya to Smolensk trains)
I believe these long distance trains are still running:
• Minsk (Belarus) to Moscow (Russia)
• Minsk (Belarus) to St Petersburg (Russia)
Although i am not too sure what the status is of onward travel between Belarus and other countries. I know all of the trains to and from Latvia and Lithuania have been suspended since the start of the corona virus (so not related to the Ukraine situation) and i am unsure on the status of trains to and from Poland at the moment. There might not be any trains to and from Poland currently but i am not 100% sure.
duesselmartin
Established Member
It and others operated during the cold war.
Adlington
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Indeed. A horrible thing this war, it encourages people to drive. Let's hope battery-powered tanks will be deployed soon.
There are no passenger trains between Belarus and Poland for now. The goods traffic runs as usual AFAIK, even more so, as transit through Ukraine has been stopped.
STEVIEBOY1
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Did there used to be trains from Paris & Nice that went to Russia until fairly recently?
Adlington
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Yes. Withdrawn because of Covid.
My strong preference would be for no tanks to be deployed.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
Istanbul is now the European gateway to Russia.
No sanctions on either side.
There's possibly a convoluted rail route to Moscow via Baku.
No sanctions on either side.
There's possibly a convoluted rail route to Moscow via Baku.
I can't see any services via this route at present.
railwaytrack
Member
Azerbaijan still has very strict corona virus rules and the land borders are still shut. The trains between Russia and Azerbaijan have not run for a long time (probably since the start of the corona virus) and there is still no sign of when they will restart again. The only way to enter and exit the country at the moment is by air. Who knows when the land borders will reopen.
They have gone completely bonkers over there. They even shut down the entire Baku Metro network for over six months because of the corona virus (apparently it was shut down to "reduce the spread of the corona virus" according to them) meaning that everyone had to cram in to overcrowded buses to get around the city.
I do not think there is any way to get from Russia to the rest of Europe now entirely by train. The only way to cross the border is by car or on foot. Although there are still some routes where you can use the train for most of the journey and just walk across the border. For example you can take the train to Ivangorod (Russia) and then walk across the border to Narva (Estonia) and take an onward train from there. That is probably the easiest way to and from Russia for those who do not have a car.
johncrossley
Established Member
Are there any scheduled bus/coach services crossing the border?
Because of the sanctions.
EastisECML
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But that is kind of the point of sanctions, to make Russia's daily existence much harder so that ordinary people have to ask questions of their government. We really don't want an actual war with Russia, so the next 'best' thing we can do is make it so Russia attacking another country is very costly in the hope it'll collapse. Besides, Putin does seem to enjoy a large amount of support amongst ordinary Russians. Sadly it isn't possible to target only the bad guys with sanctions, and sanctions have to be applied.
I think that the comment by Adlington was tongue-in-cheek. That is to say that they weren't necccesarily expressing a preference for tanks - regardless of their motive power!
Spot on. Better sanctions than more kinetic options....
dutchflyer
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Back to question: yes, the main reason was to let those foreigners stranded in Russia give a chance to leave. Plus that the first week it was also used by many Russky wanting to get home suddenly after all flights were withdrawn. For this reason FInland even stopped the previous anti-covid measures: till then these trains were only open for FInnish and RUssian people. Even the need for all those covid-codes etc. were temporarily put aside. I guess the demand for the route has since dwindled enough. And perhaps a fear of Russia suddenly ´confiscating´ foreign stock as anti-measure against all those leased planes they would have to give up. Though I do not know the exact ownership of these trainsets.
Now I also do not think that ´doing it all by rail´ would be the main motive for more as perhaps 2 or 3 dedicated railfans (Germany seems to have more of them as even this UK), those in need would take any means of transportation. But AFAIK there still seems to be a possible way with just a few Kms in between: from Leningrad (or Peter for those believing in modern times) the elektrishka (dirt cheap) to the last stop before the border with EE=Eestti/Estonia, it seems an overnight there would be needed-and this is as its a borderregion only allowed to dedicated real Russians or those with a special permit, then next morning cross that border-assuming this is still open, of which I am not sure. Or if yes-for whom.
The only other remaining country with direct trains is likely to/via Kazakstan, and maybe Mongolia. To China is also all cancelled since covid
Next best would/could be a possible ferry/boat from the Russian coast along Black Sea to north Turkey-there used to be several in normal times.
On the other side-there are thousands, if not more, Russians suddenly stranded-without access to flights (all cancelled) or even to withdraw money by a card, thus effectively penniless when the purses get empty and thrown out of hotels and the like, in many sunny countries.
More or less on this railing subject: just read that the transit trains to Kaliningrad are still running via Lietuva. On the platforms (all fenced off-even more as those for the €* to LONdon) the Lithuanians have set up big posterwalls-at window height-showing pictures from destroyed places in Ukrayna.
(a measure they have possibly also remembered from anti-spy measures in the times of the real existing jolly workers socialist paradises).
Now I also do not think that ´doing it all by rail´ would be the main motive for more as perhaps 2 or 3 dedicated railfans (Germany seems to have more of them as even this UK), those in need would take any means of transportation. But AFAIK there still seems to be a possible way with just a few Kms in between: from Leningrad (or Peter for those believing in modern times) the elektrishka (dirt cheap) to the last stop before the border with EE=Eestti/Estonia, it seems an overnight there would be needed-and this is as its a borderregion only allowed to dedicated real Russians or those with a special permit, then next morning cross that border-assuming this is still open, of which I am not sure. Or if yes-for whom.
The only other remaining country with direct trains is likely to/via Kazakstan, and maybe Mongolia. To China is also all cancelled since covid
Next best would/could be a possible ferry/boat from the Russian coast along Black Sea to north Turkey-there used to be several in normal times.
On the other side-there are thousands, if not more, Russians suddenly stranded-without access to flights (all cancelled) or even to withdraw money by a card, thus effectively penniless when the purses get empty and thrown out of hotels and the like, in many sunny countries.
More or less on this railing subject: just read that the transit trains to Kaliningrad are still running via Lietuva. On the platforms (all fenced off-even more as those for the €* to LONdon) the Lithuanians have set up big posterwalls-at window height-showing pictures from destroyed places in Ukrayna.
(a measure they have possibly also remembered from anti-spy measures in the times of the real existing jolly workers socialist paradises).
Gag Halfrunt
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The Allegro trains are owned by Karelian Trains, which is owned 50-50 by VR and RZD.
Allegro (train) - Wikipedia
jamesontheroad
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I may have misunderstood, but I think VR and RZD each take the lion's share of revenue from ticket sales for journeys that originate in their own country.
Since the trains have been going almost empty towards Russia but full towards Finland, VR might not have been making much money from services.
Since the trains have been going almost empty towards Russia but full towards Finland, VR might not have been making much money from services.
I was in Leningrad, as it then was, in 1966 staying close to the road towards Finland. There were regular modern Finnish coaches contrasting with the Soviet ones.
johncrossley
Established Member
The Lux Express website will sell a single from St Petersburg to Helsinki for 32 EUR and to Tallinn for 30 EUR for tomorrow, so this doesn't appear to be affected by sanctions.
They have actually increased the service
luxexpress.eu
They have actually increased the service
Our trips from St. Petersburg to Tallinn and Helsinki operate according to the planned schedule.
Due to increased demand Lux Express is operating additional departures between St. Petersburg and Tallinn and St. Petersburg and Helsinki.
luxexpress.eu
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edwin_m
Veteran Member
The crews, if they normally work through, probably wouldn't be happy about the risk of being stranded in the other country if either party closed the border.
STEVIEBOY1
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Ok, thanks, I thought that may have been the case.
P Binnersley
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According to Belarus Railways railways website the Kaliningrad-Moscow trains are still running, but the stop in Vilnius (Lithuania) has been removed so they are now (technically) non-stop through Lithuania. The Vilnius-Minsk service is suspended.
Serbia is also facilitating Russian transit.
railwaytrack
Member
Serbia does not border Russia though. To get between Serbia and Russia you have to go through EU countries. There is no way to get between the two of them while avoiding EU countries. So them facilitating Russian transit is pretty useless. It does not help in any way.
Turkey doesn’t border Russia either.
You just fly into Serbia. Air Serbia doubled Moscow service after the sanctions hit and is still running a daily flight even now.
AlbertBeale
Established Member
According to Belarus Railways railways website the Kaliningrad-Moscow trains are still running, but the stop in Vilnius (Lithuania) has been removed so they are now (technically) non-stop through Lithuania. The Vilnius-Minsk service is suspended.
But surely the transit trains from Russia proper to Kaliningrad (via Belarus and Lithuania) didn't anyway have a passenger stop in Vilnius, even though they stand at that station for some minutes en route. So they might still pause there without it being shown on their schedule?
NB - do any transit services access Russia from Kaliningrad via Lithuania and Latvia, as opposed to via Lithuania and Belarus? Or is that not an approved transit route? (I'm pretty sure the St Petersburg - Warsaw through trains, years ago, used to arrive in Vilnius having come via Latvia. Once when I was on a Tallinn-Warsaw sleeper, the service waited for some while at Vilnius waiting for the St Petersburg arrival so that the two services could be combined for the overnight journey to Warsaw,)
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