Sapsan, Russia"s first train capable of...

The train departed from the Russian capital at 07:00 p.m. local time [16:00 GMT] and arrived in the Russian second city of Saint Petersburg at 10.45 p.m. local time [19:45 GMT], at precisely the scheduled time.

It takes approximately eight hours for most Russian trains to cover 650 km (about 400 miles) that separate Moscow from Saint Petersburg. Nevsky Express, which had been considered Russia"s fastest train, is able to cover the distance in 4 hours and 30 minutes.

The train, of the Velaro RUS series, is a joint project between Russia"s railway monopoly RZD and Germany"s Siemens. It has 10 cars, of which two are first class and eight are second class, and can carry 604 passengers. The track gauge is 33 cm wider than in Germany to ensure it is appropriate for Russia"s railroad tracks.

Tickets to Sapsan cost 5,300 rubles ($175) for the first-class coaches and 3,300 rubles ($110) for the second-class coaches. During the first week of the service, tickets will be

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