A Russian high-speed train, the “Avrora,” has set a new record for passenger capacity, carrying 1515 people between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The two-story train, comprised of 18 cars, departed on June 11 ahead of Russia Day and the long weekend.

Russian Railways announced that the increased consist was designed to accommodate 1504 passenger seats. The train’s record-breaking journey has been officially recognized and entered into the Russian Book of Records as the “regular train with the largest number of passenger seats.” Alexey Svistunov, the editor-in-chief of the project, registered the achievement.

The previous record was set 10 years ago by train No. 46/45 Moscow – Voronezh, which carried 1320 passengers. The “Avrora” train’s increased size necessitated the use of a double electric locomotive.

Dmitry Pegov, Deputy Head of Russian Railways, explained that coupling two modern EP2K series locomotives allows for synchronous control by a single driver. This configuration provides increased power, enabling the train to pull more cars and maintain speed even on inclines when fully loaded.