Introducing new intercity trains
Well I was about to title it "Introducing new Ukrainian intercity trains", but Ukrzaliznyts'a doesn't position these Hyundai Rotem trains as Ukrainian at any point. No wonder that I've seen about 40% of the passengers to be foreigners. It seems to be essentially the case (never mind our citizens may find it offensive) - we still continue observing reverse corelation between "Ukrainian" and "comfortable". Still we're not in India, and I am full of optimism. So let me tell what I like and what I do not.
The overall appearance is fine, here is a pic:
Timetable. Is not always convenient. I might be using them more often if they'd ever had more expansive schedule. So, morning trains are usually late. Arriving 10:something a.m. would you say it's a successful beginning of a business day? Evening trains are o.k., however any additional ones would benefit. Noon time as well as overnight trains are non-existant. Are you the one who wishes to connect an air flight departing either of country's three main airports (KBP, HRK, DOK) after midnight? Nobody cares.
Travel time. Kharkiv to Poltava is exactly 1h:36, that means an average speed of 92 km/h, and at some point it moves at 153 km/h. Fair speed if mention the condition of our tracks which are not really that smooth. Trust my camera:
Is that refraction? :)
Cars and the interior. Koreans make it tidy, I accept. The exception is the night-time lighting... it is just of enormous brightness! Well, here is an environment concient owl like me on the one hand, and the major commercial enterprises on the other. They care for your money, but not for the darkness, sleep, comfort etc. Anyway it's a global trend, not a particular issue. I clearly remember my irritation on board of Boeing-738 where the lights harshly interfered with a possibility of seeing the night sky up from the stratosphere... and a chance of noctilucent clouds... wait, that's already another story.
Note: Fellows, my sincere request! If somebody of you is sure he had ever met an airline which regularly shuts off most of the lights at night, please share its name with me. Thanks.
Now back to trains. Seats are convenient as for 2nd class. However my legs are of different opinion. The space could be far better for them, so my legs vote for a 3rd class train #177, see further.
Laptop. Along with other amenities, there is a wide table for your silicon buddy, not as great as the one you have at home, but still recognize it is sufficiently better from what you get on average at any kind of transportation e.g. usual coach buses. Two electricity sockets (per 2-3 seats) are there next to you. Wi-fi is even thought to be present... but it doesn't! A nice stewardess, Inga, attempted to politely explain me what can be actually called "I don't have any idea how to manage this damn wi-fi to work properly". At no point I try to complain about her personal skills. Just have a taste of Ukrainian service: you don't usually get what you pay for.
Alternative. There is another train running, numbered 177/178. Cars formerly used for "Stolychnyi Expres" now shifted to different regional routes.
The fare is roughly 3 times cheaper than the formerly mentioned "fast" intercity train. But it is no way 3 times less good, consider the following... Travel time, at the same distance, is avg. 1h:50 (coresponding to avg. speed of 71 km/h; the maximal I believe doesn't exceed 110-120 km/h). Lose some 15 to 20 minute (15% longer), big deal. Timetable includes fewer trains, but the timing is good, if not even better. You get: slightly wider leg space, feet holders (I find them useful), fine coach seats, the same coffee/tea. You miss: "smart" TV screens, smooth silent motion (not much different though), modern-styled doors, mythical wi-fi, and yeah, the nice stewards/-esses.
P.S. Let's summarize the means of transportation on the Kyiv-Poltava-Kharkiv route. Cars are threat to DPS (corrupted road police), buses and especially marshrutka's are more hazardous, planes are not eco-friendly, not regular, and not effectively faster at some cases. Since the recent time Ukrzaliznyts'a developed it first user-friendly booking website, I'd recommend to use train in this particular case.
The overall appearance is fine, here is a pic:
Timetable. Is not always convenient. I might be using them more often if they'd ever had more expansive schedule. So, morning trains are usually late. Arriving 10:something a.m. would you say it's a successful beginning of a business day? Evening trains are o.k., however any additional ones would benefit. Noon time as well as overnight trains are non-existant. Are you the one who wishes to connect an air flight departing either of country's three main airports (KBP, HRK, DOK) after midnight? Nobody cares.
Travel time. Kharkiv to Poltava is exactly 1h:36, that means an average speed of 92 km/h, and at some point it moves at 153 km/h. Fair speed if mention the condition of our tracks which are not really that smooth. Trust my camera:
Is that refraction? :)
Cars and the interior. Koreans make it tidy, I accept. The exception is the night-time lighting... it is just of enormous brightness! Well, here is an environment concient owl like me on the one hand, and the major commercial enterprises on the other. They care for your money, but not for the darkness, sleep, comfort etc. Anyway it's a global trend, not a particular issue. I clearly remember my irritation on board of Boeing-738 where the lights harshly interfered with a possibility of seeing the night sky up from the stratosphere... and a chance of noctilucent clouds... wait, that's already another story.
Note: Fellows, my sincere request! If somebody of you is sure he had ever met an airline which regularly shuts off most of the lights at night, please share its name with me. Thanks.
Now back to trains. Seats are convenient as for 2nd class. However my legs are of different opinion. The space could be far better for them, so my legs vote for a 3rd class train #177, see further.
Laptop. Along with other amenities, there is a wide table for your silicon buddy, not as great as the one you have at home, but still recognize it is sufficiently better from what you get on average at any kind of transportation e.g. usual coach buses. Two electricity sockets (per 2-3 seats) are there next to you. Wi-fi is even thought to be present... but it doesn't! A nice stewardess, Inga, attempted to politely explain me what can be actually called "I don't have any idea how to manage this damn wi-fi to work properly". At no point I try to complain about her personal skills. Just have a taste of Ukrainian service: you don't usually get what you pay for.
Alternative. There is another train running, numbered 177/178. Cars formerly used for "Stolychnyi Expres" now shifted to different regional routes.
The fare is roughly 3 times cheaper than the formerly mentioned "fast" intercity train. But it is no way 3 times less good, consider the following... Travel time, at the same distance, is avg. 1h:50 (coresponding to avg. speed of 71 km/h; the maximal I believe doesn't exceed 110-120 km/h). Lose some 15 to 20 minute (15% longer), big deal. Timetable includes fewer trains, but the timing is good, if not even better. You get: slightly wider leg space, feet holders (I find them useful), fine coach seats, the same coffee/tea. You miss: "smart" TV screens, smooth silent motion (not much different though), modern-styled doors, mythical wi-fi, and yeah, the nice stewards/-esses.
P.S. Let's summarize the means of transportation on the Kyiv-Poltava-Kharkiv route. Cars are threat to DPS (corrupted road police), buses and especially marshrutka's are more hazardous, planes are not eco-friendly, not regular, and not effectively faster at some cases. Since the recent time Ukrzaliznyts'a developed it first user-friendly booking website, I'd recommend to use train in this particular case.