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Published: August 3rd 2016
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There was panic at the station (by Al )when we arrived at Irkutsk station in what we thought was adequate time and 1hour and 15 minutes before it was due to depart. As we looked up at the board to show which platform we were going to be on the only Moscow train was showing as departing at 13.22 and it was now 17:10 (we thought our train was due to depart at 18.22). When we looked at our tickets they said 13.22 also but the English directions from the travel company said 18.22.
Aaarh we’ve missed our train!!!
I went and asked a security guard if he could help as the information office was closed already. After a little while he returned to explain in broken Russian that the time shown was Moscow time not Irkutsk time 5 hours difference (all railway schedules are shown in Moscow time' no matter where you are in the country). We have been trying to adjust our time to Moscow time the closer we get to Moscow but it is proving to be interesting with sunset so late and sunrise about 4.30. We get off the train in Moscow at 4.20 am
and the sun will already have risen!!
The train is typical of all the trains we have caught. Each cabin has 4 bunks and a table. Fortunately we have booked a whole cabin so haven't had to share but most of the cabins have 4 people (very cosy!!!!). We have made friends with the Dining car crew who are now advising us about which beer to drink and the food that is available (we are their best customers as most Russians seem to eat in their cabins). We have managed breakfast in the cabin (bread and honey with a pot of tea) but we like going up to the dining car for anything else (it is 4 cars away so it is an interesting journey just getting there).
The scenery since we left has changed little. There are lots of forests and now pastures with the occasional town (some bigger than others). The first two days the countryside was flat, extremely flat and the ware lots of swamp areas dotted across the landscape. There were major rivers every couple of hours all heading towards to Arctic Ocean, On each of these rivers there were quite large towns or
cities with lots of barges, ships and docks equipped with grain loading conveyors and chutes. On the third day this had changed to a more hilly terrain with lots of towns.
On the train carriage we are in there was lots of comings and goings of the other passengers but now it seems that we and one other couple are the only ones left of the originals from Irkutsk.
Our carriage Stewardess (guard , ticket collector, cleaner and souvenir sales person) has grown accustomed to these two foreigners on her carriage and is being very helpful whereas she was a little reserved at first.
The train has kept to its schedule to the minute across the whole of the journey across Russia. We have been amazed at the accuracy the drivers have kept throughout the journey. The only trains we have been on that have been more accuracy was the Japanese ones, they measured there time in seconds not minutes, with the Swiss not far behind.
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Ross and Julianne
non-member comment
Russia is a big country
Is there much English spoken? Glad you sorted out the train timetable. Yellow seems popular with railway stations. Glad you are well and enjoying the trip.