Sapsan, the fastest trains in Russia, travelling at up to 250 km/h (155 mph) and a total length of 250 metres (820 ft) for each ten-car train, connecting St Petersburg and Moscow in just over 3.5 hours.
Known as the “Peregrine Falcon” in Russian (Сапсан), the train is part of the Siemens Valero family of trains and can carry up to 600 passengers.
Sapsan set records for the fastest train in Russia on 7 May 2009, travelling at 290 km/hour (180 mph), but the High-Speed line was built for speeds up to 330 km/h (205 mph).
The ride is smooth, seats comfortable and spacious. Depending on the class of travel, you may be offered a meal and some drinks. I traveled in first (a personal treat), though on observation seats in business and economy are both of equal quality, and there is a snack bar and catering for purchase on-board.
My 6:45 am train from Saint Petersburg arrived in Moscow on time at 10:40 am, I barely noticed we were flying on the ground. For such a short journey, save yourself some rubles and don’t travel in first, splurge instead on a nice hotel.