Double-decker trains will begin running between Moscow and the southern Russian city of Samara from Dec. 3, state rail operator Russian Railways said in a statement Monday.
Trains will depart daily from Moscow at 6:10 p.m. and arrive in Samara, 850 kilometers southeast on the Volga river, the next day at 9:45 a.m., the statement said. The return train will leave Samara at 4:42 p.m. and arrive in the capital 16 1/2 hours later at 9:08 a.m.
Ticket sales have already begun, with the first tickets starting at 1,750 rubles ($28) each way. Fares will vary depending on the season, the day of the week, and demand.
The double-decker line was launched by a subsidiary of Russian Railways, Federal Passenger Company. Alexander Popov, head of the company's Kuibyshev branch, said earlier this year “the capacity of a double-decker train is twice as much [as that of single-decker trains], which will help to significantly reduce ticket prices,” according to the TASS news agency.
The Moscow-Samara route will be the country's fifth double-decker service.
Russia's first two-level train began operating between Moscow and the Black Sea resort town of Adler in 2013.
This year, the network of double-decker trains expanded to new regions, connecting Moscow with St. Petersburg, Kazan and Voronezh.
The carriages are also due to appear on lines linking Moscow with its airports.
Aeroexpress, which operates the capital's airport train services, said earlier this year the first double-decker trains would start running between Moscow and Domodedovo Airport in early 2016, according to the city's Moskva 24 local news website.
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