No está mal, pero en comparación con el modelo anterior es un poco decepcionante

As a frequent train traveler, I've had the pleasure of riding on many different trains, but none have been as memorable as the number 15/16 from Moscow to Volgograd. This train has been a favorite of mine for over 10 years, and for good reason.

My most recent journey on this train took place on January 14, 2023, at the Moscow-Pavélovskaya station. As I boarded the train, I noticed that the last cars were of an older model, the 61-4179, which was produced in large quantities at the Tver Wagon Factory until 2008. Although production continued in smaller quantities until it eventually ceased.

The cars in the middle of the train, however, were of a newer model, and they boasted some impressive features. The automatic door openers, the new chassis, and the two bathrooms in one end of the car were all particularly useful and comfortable.

Our car, number 7, was a coach car, and at first glance, it seemed like any other. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was part of the newer generation of trains, and it had the bathrooms in one end of the car. The seats 28 to 32, although a bit uncomfortable, didn't seem too different from the rest of the car.

I was seated in the upper lateral seats 39 and 40, but my seat was in the upper section. What did bother me a bit was that the seat upholstery was a bit old.

Overall, the car was like any other, and for a non-luxury train, it was fine. The blanket and pillow that came with the ticket were of good quality.

The corridor in front of the bathrooms was clean, and the state of the floor made me think that the car wasn't very new, but it wasn't old either. There were some areas with scuffs, wear, and scratches. Let's take a look at the bathrooms:

The bathrooms were clean and didn't have any unpleasant odors. The sanitary napkin was always available, and it was of very good quality, soft... In some low-level trains, you sometimes find sanitary napkins of poorer quality and a harder texture.

They also had soap, although I've had cases where there was no soap.

The conductor checked our documents again, was very friendly, and informed us of the important information, and then he started cleaning the car. The power outlets for charging our phones were available throughout the car, except for the upper lateral seats.

However, in the upper non-lateral shelves, we found USB connectors for charging our phones. I personally checked them, and they worked correctly.

I was surprised by the first impression of the trip: the corridor of the driver's car seemed separated from the door, which wasn't very pleasant. They could have joined it with adhesive tape, no problem.

Compared to train number 1/2, this train has more stops, which is especially important for those traveling to regional centers located in the Lípez (Dobrinka), Tambov (Mordovia, Oborona, Tókarevka), Vorónezh (Ternóvka, Gribovsky) and Volgograd (Ilovlya-1) areas, because in the Grází-Vorónezh-Ilovlya section, there are only 3 passenger trains, but train number 1/2 doesn't stop at these stations, while train number 89/90 from St. Petersburg to Volgograd has an uncomfortable schedule for departure and arrival in Moscow and Volgograd. In fact, in some stations, the stop of train number 15/16 is only in one direction.

And to finish, the corridor and bathroom of the driver's car, despite their age, were in an acceptable state.

The bathroom was in good condition. I've traveled on this train up to the Tokarevka station, and it's very comfortable in terms of departure and arrival times to get to this village in the Tambov region. However, the train cars are not new, and their state is different: some are in good condition, while others are a bit worn out. But last year, the train was better when I traveled to the Gribanovskiy village, as it was composed of new-series cars.

In January 2022, at the Gribanovka station, train number 15/16 was composed of new-series cars. I noticed that the state of the cars was varied: some were in good condition, while others were not as much. I also noticed that the windows were not well-ventilated, which allowed me to sleep well. However, I found a car of the older series among the economy-class cars, but it's likely that it was a replacement car.

I could say that it's possible to travel on this train, although sometimes you find old cars. I've seen worse trains in my life. However, if you're traveling from Moscow to Volgograd (and vice versa), it's better to take train number 1/2, which has newer cars, even with a bathroom on board. In my case, on that day, train number 15/16 also had cars with bathrooms.