Platzkart project

"Platzkart" (A couchette car) is the most democratic and popular form of public rail transport in Russia, allowing you to get from one city to another for a low cost by long-distance trains. Platzkart is a kind of compromise between a seated car and a "сoupé car". There are two types of couchette car in Russia: "coupé" and "platzkart". "Coupé" cars are more expensive and comfortable with 4-bunk compartments fully separated from each other and the corridor. The cheaper "Platzkart" cars, use a somewhat different layout, with no wall between compartment and corridor, only four bunks along the long sides of the compartment, and two more mounted on the corridor wall, the lower bunk folding in the daytime to become two seats. This type of cars has been successfully operating for over 100 years. The platzkart car has a completely different atmosphere from other types of public transport: on the one hand, it is crowded and people have zero sense of personal space, on the other hand, passengers are friendly, relaxed and predisposed to get to know each other. Due to the fact that train trips in Russia can last from 24 hours to 7 days, many passengers become close pals for each other for this time. Unfortunately, nowadays many platzkart cars in Russia are being replaced by double-deck coupé cars, and in the future the platzkart cars are planned to be completely modified into closed-type cars. This leads both to higher travel costs and loss of special "platzkart" romance.