OREANDA-NEWS. August 21, 2014. A demonstration journey of the high-speed Lastochka train has been conducted between Barnaul – Novosibirsk – Barnaul at West-Siberian Railways.

The main purpose of the journey, which was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Novonikolayevsk – Barnaul railway line, was to assess the technical ability to run a similar electric train on a main line on a continuous basis.

The event was marked by ceremonies held on 18 August 2014 in Barnaul and Novosibirsk and was attended by Anatoly Reger, Head of West-Siberian Railways, Alexander Karlin, Acting Governor of Altai Territory, Vladimir Gorodetsky, Acting Governor of Novosibirsk Region, Mayor of Novosibirsk.

"The fact that today the Lastochka is completing a journey on Western-Siberian Railways testifies to our commitment to further developing infrastructure and improving technologies. The major advantages of this electric train are speed and safety, advantages which allow us to compete successfully with other modes of transport and meet the needs of all categories of passengers. It is very gratifying that on Russia's railways a train is now running using two types of power: AC and DC. That is especially important for our main line," said Anatoly Reger.

The demonstration trip was also attended by more than 300 passengers who received free tickets at suburban ticket offices. Travel time between Barnaul and Novosibirsk was 3 hours 20 minutes including stops.

This was the Lastochka's first trip electric beyond the Urals.

According to Alexander Karlin, the Lastochka meets all modern requirements with regard to both comfort levels and accessibility for passengers with disabilities.

"This is a significant step forward. Cutting-edge equipment and technology have been used in the train to improve passenger comfort," said Vladimir Gorodetsky.

The guests at the event noted that a long tradition of partnerships between the railways and regional administrations had always been the basis for the region's economic development and agreed to make every effort to bring the Lastochka into continuous service as quickly as possible.

Altai Territory and Novosibirsk Region are two of the few regions to have fulfilled their commitments to subsidise commuter services on time.

At past events, regional leaders unanimously noted that the long tradition of partnership with Russian Railways has always been and remains the basis for the economic development of the subjects of the Russian Federation.