Russia's luxurious high-speed passenger train running between Moscow and St. Petersburg has killed at least three people, however could be responsible for the deaths of seven, Russian daily Gazeta quoted a senior Interior Ministry official as saying.
"The deaths occurred when people were crossing rails outside authorized [pedestrian] crossings and failed to hear the silent Sapsan in time," Gazeta quoted the head of the ministry's department in charge of transportation safety, Alexander Brevnov as saying.
Sapsan, built for Russia by German engineering giant Siemens, began its service on December 17, 2009. It covers the distance between Russia's two largest cities in a record time of 3 hours and 45 minutes.
"Unfortunately, people very often violate railway safety and pedestrian crossing rules," Gazeta quoted Oktyabrskaya railway spokeswoman, Yulia Mineyeva, as saying.
"The trains are very fast. A person crossing the track on a green light reaches the middle of the tracks when the light suddenly turns red because the high-speed Sapsan is approaching," Russian weekly magazine Ogonyok on April 5 quoted a Russian retiree as saying. "Imagine a woman with a baby or a person with a heavy bag crossing the tracks..."
Sapsan has already become one of the most controversial transportation projects in Russia. Besides fatalities, it has caused social tensions among the local residents who are angry about the disappearance of budget rail tickets.
The price of a roundtrip ticket on the Sapsan is about 6,000 rubles ($200), equal to the monthly salary of a suburban resident.
Gazeta on April 12 said Sapsan was attacked at least ten times since it started service. Infuriated local residents "greet" Sapsan by throwing rocks or steel reinforcement rods at the train. It has also been shot at from rifles.
The Russian respected weekly Expert reported on April 8 local residents, who commute between the suburbs and the city, were forced to spend hours waiting for their trains to arrive. And when they finally caught their [budget] train, they wasted their time at the railway crossing, which was blocked in order for Sapsan to pass.
"We are just like the enemy, everybody hates us. Some even start throwing fists," Expert weekly quoted a railroad crossing gate operator at a railway crossing along Sapsan's route, as saying. "And what we can do? Nothing! In accordance with instructions, the crossing gate should be closed three minutes before an ordinary train approaches, and fifteen minutes before Sapsan comes."
The weekly said the long "railway traffic jams" actually make little towns inaccessible for emergency services and police.
Sapsan is a highly lucrative project. The train is in great demand and Russian Railways (RZD) on April 5 increased the number daily runs between Moscow and St. Petersburg from three to five. By yearend, RZD may increase the runs up to eight daily.
MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti)
