Criteria for choosing a car when buying a ticket, the main differences and similarities.

The reserved seat is the most popular option of a railway carriage among passengers using the services of Russian Railways. In turn, a car of this type has six service options. In terms of prevalence, only a compartment-type carriage does not lag behind the reserved seat, while other possible options, for example, luxury or SV, do not have such demand due to their price.

Those who often use reserved cars have already encountered special abbreviations written on the ticket. There you can notice a combination consisting of a number and a letter that indicate the subspecies of the selected car. The system has been widespread for quite a long time, but it became mandatory only from 11.12.2016. Therefore, if you decide to use a reserved seat, then you will definitely encounter these abbreviations, for example, ZU or ZT. Below we will describe in more detail the meaning of these combinations and their characteristics.

Types of wagons

The reserved seat classification consists of six subspecies, each of which is characterized by different types of service. The differences of all subspecies are significant. For example, there is a situation when a passenger needs to transport an animal. In this case, he should know that a suitable car will have a class of ZU or ZD. After all, in other types of wagons, the transportation of animals is not welcome.

Six possible types of a second-class carriage: 3D; 3L; 3P; 3T; 3U; 3E.

However, not only the reserved carriage has subspecies, this also applies to other variants of wagons. For example, luxury cars have three types of service, and there are seven in SV. Compartment cars have six subspecies, and cars in which you can only ride sitting are divided into as many as twelve classes. Common wagons have two subspecies - ZO and ZV, depending on the ability to transport pets.

Description of service classes.

Above we have described what types of railway cars there are. Now it's worth exploring each option separately. The main differences are the presence of amenities, for example, a toilet in the car, air conditioning. Also, as mentioned earlier, the transportation of pets plays a significant role.

option 1 is 3E. The most comfortable. In the car there is not only air conditioning, but also a toilet. It is worth considering that pets cannot be transported to the ZE, which is a positive thing for people who are allergic to wool and just those who want to spend the road in silence.

option 2 - 3T. The presence of an air conditioner in such a car is mandatory, but there may not be a toilet, only in some cases it will be present. Transportation of pets is not welcome, so passengers who have pets should definitely consider this factor when purchasing a ticket.

option 3 - 3L. Amenities in the form of air conditioning and a bio toilet are not provided here. Therefore, such a car is likely to be relatively unfilled. Also, passengers with children are rarely present in such cars. And the transportation of animals is prohibited. Therefore, cars with a service class of ZL will be an excellent choice for those who like to sleep peacefully on the road.

option 4 is 3D. The carriage is suitable for transporting pets. And also, there are usually basic amenities in the form of an air conditioner and a toilet, but the second one is not always guaranteed. Do not forget to inform about the presence of a pet when purchasing a ticket, because for this the cashier needs to give you a different type of ticket.

option 5 is 3U. The car is suitable for transporting animals. But neither a toilet nor an air conditioner are guaranteed. It is also mandatory to indicate the presence of a pet when buying a ticket.

6 option - 3P. It is mainly applicable for the trip of an organized group of children. For example, a class of schoolchildren or a group from a children's camp. Such a car is based on a compartment type. Therefore, it always has a toilet and air conditioning.

Class 3P carriages are also used for ordinary passengers. A ticket to such a car can usually be purchased immediately before the departure of the train, when it becomes known for sure that an organized group of children will not go on the train. This situation is quite rare, it will be easier to buy a ticket to a Class 3E carriage with exactly the same amenities.
Attention! If the amenities are not guaranteed, this does not mean that they are necessarily not available.

Which car is the best fit after all?

It is impossible to say at once which of the wagons will be optimal. It is worth starting from a specific situation and individual needs. After all, it is important for someone to have any amenities, and for someone the purpose of the trip is to transport animals. And on the contrary, silence and tranquility are important to someone, so the passenger will choose a car without amenities, because in a car of this type the probability of traveling with young children is minimal.

The selection is usually based on five examples.

The first situation is when a passenger needs to transport a pet. The cars suitable in this case are ZD and ZU.

The second option is the presence of an air conditioner. Then classes 3E, 3T and 3D will be suitable (but it is worth considering that there may be animals in the PO).

Another possible situation is when it is important for a passenger to have a toilet, then you need to choose a Class 3E car.

If a person is allergic to wool, or if a passenger simply does not want to travel in the same car with animals, then you can safely use classes 3E, 3T and 3L.

Heads of organized children's groups should pay attention to class 3P.

It's important to know. All classes of service in reserved cars have similarities with each other. Each of them has significant similarities: the number of seats (52 to 54, but more often there are fifty-four seats in the car); seats from 37 to 54 are located on the side; the ability to ride both sitting and lying down; and one more important point - under each seat a passenger can find a place to store luggage and other what- or personal belongings.

Taking into account all the above similarities, all reserved cars have the same basic device. Therefore, the choice of class of service becomes crucial not for all passengers of the reserved seat. After all, in each of the classes of the car described above, you can find your pros and cons. For example, even the ZL class car has an advantage for those who do not want to travel with a large number of people, and even more so with small children. This factor for many compensates for the lack of basic amenities in the ZL class.

However, it is worth considering that such a classification is not yet provided everywhere. Therefore, it is often possible to see a passenger with a pet in a carriage in which the transportation of animals is not welcome. It remains only to wait for the system to start working unconditionally and all passengers will be able to be sure that all the conditions of the selected class will be met.