On my latest return trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg, I had the chance to ride the new Aurora train. My recent experiences with Russian Railways’ new offerings have been mostly positive, and this one didn’t disappoint either.
Background
Aurora is a high-speed, double-decker signature train that has been operating on the Moscow–St. Petersburg route since December 19, 2024.
Here’s the schedule for some Aurora trains:
- Train No. 742 (Moscow–St. Petersburg): departs at 6:00 AM, arrives at 11:30 AM (from October 26 — 11:45 AM). Travel time: 5 hours 30 minutes.
- Train No. 744 (Moscow–St. Petersburg): departs at 1:50 PM, arrives at 7:15 PM (from October 26 — 7:56 PM). Travel time: 5 hours 25 minutes.
- Train No. 746 (Moscow–St. Petersburg): departs at 5:45 PM, arrives at 11:04 PM. Travel time: 5 hours 19 minutes.
- Train No. 749 (starting November 1): departs at 10:30 PM, arrives at 5:00 AM. Travel time: 6 hours 45 minutes.
What You Get — Or Rather, How You Ride
I opted for a seat, but the train also offers compartments and even first-class cabins. Some passengers clearly prefer to sleep horizontally during the ride — I saw a few as I walked to my seat.
Boarding is level with the platform. A man on crutches with a broken leg got on ahead of me without any issues. Inside the car, there’s a small staircase for passengers heading to the lower level and a larger one for the upper deck.
Classical music plays from the speakers, everything smells fresh and new — it’s a pleasant atmosphere.
The train left half-empty, even though ticket prices are incredibly affordable by today’s standards — starting at 1,518 rubles in October 2025, even for last-minute bookings.
It’s clear that the early morning Aurora train isn’t very popular, likely due to its inconvenient departure time: 6:00 AM, and sometimes even 5:20 AM. That makes getting to the station by metro virtually impossible.
The journey takes 5.5 hours, with one unexpected stop in Chudovo that most passengers probably don’t notice.
Is It Comfortable to Ride Sitting Down?
The seats are comfortable — I actually found them more pleasant than those on the Sapsan train. They’re firm but not hard, upholstered in soft leather, and the backrest reclines with a gentle button on the side. There are also buttons above each seat for personal lighting and calling the attendant — just like on an airplane.
There’s plenty of legroom. In the seatback pocket in front of me were RZD magazines and a travel kit: slippers, a sleep mask, hand and shoe wipes, and even a shoehorn. Below the pocket, there’s a fold-out footrest. Under the seat, you’ll find two power outlets and a couple of nice extras — USB and type-C ports.
What the Journey Feels Like
The first half hour is filled with various announcements about the route and safety rules, plus an extra document check. After that, you can relax.
Thanks to the low number of passengers, the car stayed pretty quiet. Of course, you can always get unlucky with noisy neighbors or someone playing music without headphones, but everyone around me quickly fell asleep.
Car No. 5 is the bistro car. On its lower level, there’s a bar serving alcohol; upstairs, there’s a restaurant-style setup with tables and prices comparable to cafes in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The food is tasty, the coffee isn’t amazing — but it’s drinkable.
If you stay in your own car, you won’t go hungry either: the attendant offers tea, brewed coffee, and a selection of cookies and wafers. There’s a water cooler on the stairs between levels, and you can ask the attendant for hot water.
For those wanting to freshen up, Car No. 6 has a shower available for 150 rubles. The bathrooms — standard for today’s RZD trains — are clean and odor-free, and there’s one in every car.
All in all, Aurora is a solid option for traveling between Russia’s two capitals. Compared to the Sapsan train, it’s not quite as smooth or quiet, and the trip takes a bit longer. But those minor drawbacks are more than offset by the incredibly low price — several times cheaper than its international competitor — and the charm of riding on the second level.
