Yup. Passenger trains are second-class citizens on Amtrak - freight has priority. We took the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago some twenty years ago next month and what was a 17 hour scheduled journey turned into a 23 hour one. Not only did we get shunted sideways for freight, but a freight train ahead of us broke down and caused us to be re-routed via Cleveland OH. If nothing else, it proved how comfortable the seats were and being the Capitol Limited, it also had a (very popular) observation car attached.
@@daigriffiths399 aren’t passenger trains officially priority, but because the freight corporations make trains longer than the sidings/passing track amtrak is then forced to give way?
@@onelyone6976 No idea, TBH. I live in Ireland and that trip was part of the run home after spending a year at college in KY. I will say a mile-long freight train with two headers, two bankers and one in the middle is a real sight to behold. On that particular day we were in IL on the way back to KY and the driver suddenly realised that a) the level crossing was about two miles ahead and b) that freighter was shifting. We beat it 😄
"Apples are a local specialty in Almaty" that's actually where the name Almaty comes from! Aлма/Alma is the Kazakh word for apple, and Almaty means "full of apples"! The wild Malus sieversii is considered the ancestor of the modern domestic apple and it is native to southern Kazakhstan! That aside, I can totally picture Bald & Bankrupt saying "Soviet station, Soviet train, Soviet toilet" while watching this 😂Love how much the Kazakhs embrace their cool culture and how it's reflected on not just their gorgeous flag but also the tiling at Almaty-1 station! And honestly as a history buff, I get this journey on a Soviet train might be torture for some, but for someone like me, I enjoy and respect the charm and it's still an experience at the end of the day
Funny thing is, alma means apple in hungarian as well... We most probably picked up that word while we were nomadic people moving from modern day russia to central europe.
@@Ezmiez99I’ll tell you more: Hungarians are the ancient ancestors of the Kypshaks, the ancient Kazakh tribe. The Kazakh language was formed from ancient Kypshak, which in turn is very similar to the ancient Turkic language🤷🏼♂️🤜🏼🤛🏼
On my student language trip to Russia in 1987 we took trains from Helsinki to Moscow, Moscow to Kharkov and again to Kiev, and then back, Kiev to Helsinki. I'm pretty sure you were in the same carriage 😂. Nice to see how well they held up! I enjoyed your video
The renaming from Nur-Sultan to Astana is more of a re-renaming! The city became the capital in 1997, and Astana was the name given to it in 1998. It became Nur-Sultan in 2019 after Nursultan Nazarbayev retired. But as the country became more open about Nazarbayev’s legacy, they chose to change it back to Astana. four tickets so you could have it to yourself is quite the power move! When it comes to our own rail network, while pretty much all our electric locomotives are made in-house, our diesel locomotives were made in either China or the former Soviet Union. Even we have German rolling stock as our Pyongyang Metro is famous for having Berlin U-Bahn rolling stock, but recently we’ve also built a metro train in-house.
The name change back to Astana has a lot to do with Nazarbayev falling out of favour after the massive protest and unrest in early 2022 and the politcial game that plays out during and after it. Tokayev basically kick out Nazarbayev remaining influences (despite Nazarbayev picked Tokayev ) as a result. The name change also has a lot to say that time for Nazarbayev and his people to influences politics behind the scene is over. Calling CSTO troops in alsop is a brillant move to stop Nazarbayev launching a potential coup.
@@trondypond Pyongyang is not on the Trans-Siberian Railway, its final stop is Vladivostok... there is a branch in the form of a single track railway to North Korea and if the condition of the tracks on the Trans-Siberian Railway is good (I live near it, I know.), then the railway in the DPRK kapets is rusty
Man a great video. Unlike many rail RUclipsrs (including more famous ones) you really seem to put a lot of effort into meeting locals and trying to communicate in their languages. And you do some sketchy places.
It's clearly happy to see my town! 10:26 , Thanks for showing it off! And calling it with its name properly, hehe. If you travel again, please visit this small town! I'll be always welcome to show you my town off!! +1 new subscriber!!
I rode the train through Kazakhstan this winter, and caught this wonderful weather like in the video. it's one of the best sceneries I've seen in my life, endless icy desert, sparse Kazakh villages, bright sun shining through your window. The views from the train window in real life are even more impressive. It's -30 outside and a mouth is steaming, so my thermos is cracked from the pressure difference.
Ah, Kazakhstan! I had nearly a year working in Almaty 16 years ago - fascinating place that I didn't make the most of....... I didn't use public transport at all, though, walked evertywhere after a couple of colleagues had distressing experiences in taxis. Nur-Sultan was called Astana in those days too, I hadn't realized it had reverted. At that time the country was described as being the size of Western Europe with a population the size of the Netherlands. I also ate horsemeat a few times, including once in a pastie about twice the size of Ginster's finest - and very tasty it was too! Great video that brought back some bittersweet memories. Thanks.
I love it how much patience you have. You also almost never moan or complain and I never hear you talking badly or down even about some of really old train's you traveled with. Clearly person who enjoys their journeys and train rides ❤
Well, not the worst experience for sure. If you want real extreme, ride one of Tajik or Uzbek trains to Moscow where most of the occupants are season workers. The new coach you were in is not built but assembled by Tulkar-Talgo using TVZ (Russian coach and EMU manufacturer) parts. Pretty good one even if not very comfortable when it's hot outside.
I took the Andijan-Moscow train to Aktyubinsk, in a reserved seat car. The car was packed with Tajiks and their goods on the very ceiling, I alone had a legal ticket in the entire car! Everything poured and fell apart, drunkenness, fights constantly. It was a memorable trip.
@@SuperalbsTravels They're rough people but usually they wouldn't bother strangers and tourists alike. Just don't expect to get any proper shuteye on the entire journey.
I remember on the express train overnight in Kazakhstan once when on the new Talgo carriages and the "restaurant car" mentioned had a lovely comprehensive and cheap menu....but nothing was really available! I think there was one choice for meat eaters and for vegetarians like me I got served a Kit Kat chocolate bar, on a silver plate, under a silver cover. The best thing about the old Soviet style carriages is the space on them - I've spent overnight journeys on them in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Ukraine, always a great way to travel. Really enjoyed the video.
@@runoflife87 I was on a UK long distance train (well it was long distance for the UK) a few years ago and it felt TINY compared to the old Soviet and Eastern European sized trains. Luckily not overnight, but I agree about the EU coupe too.
Kazakhstan is a very under-rated country as is Ubekistan to the South, I must say that I like the way you explain everything including the stations and the trains, keep up the good work
Reminded me of a long holiday journey I did in 1996, in rolling stock of that type, from Beijing to Brussel Midi, via Ulan Bator, Irkustk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow. Diesel hauled from Beijing as far as the Trans Siberian route, which was electrified all the way west. The gauge change method between China and Mongolia was quite dramatic, with us being on board while they changed all the bogies inside the workshop from standard to Russian. An awful lot of manual labour to remove each one from the side and insert the other. By way of contrast, the system used between Belarus and Poland was a bit more modern, with long cable laid out so that the whole set could be pulled out in one move, with the others being dropped off at each carriage in a similar fashion.
Honestly this didn't look that bad apart from the toilets and lack of wall outlets, but like the latter is to be expected on such an old carriage. Apart from that it seemed quite comfy and if you can just make do without some modern amenities and prepare a bit it seems like a perfectly comfortable ride. I mean it's certainly more comfortable than most hostels in Europe. Also the staff seemed really friendly though that probably isn't gaurenteed. They might be old carriages but they were clearly built to a decent level of comfort back then and that holds up.
The Soviet era sleeping wagons were superior to their modern day equvalents. I remember traveling in them as a child and they were always so nice and cozy. The ones nowadays lack a soul and aren't nice at all.
Traveled in both: old and new. New are far better and more comfortable. Maybe this is a child memory playing for you, but I remember even being a child I did not like lots of stuff in these carriages. I have not tried the brand-new designs though. Maybe they became worse, but the ones with vacuum toilets and air conditioner are already very cool. Thing is soviet and post-soviet railways are mostly offering sleepers for intercity connections. Because of huge distances and a lack of high-speed service. In Europe it is mostly seat service due to shorter distance and high-speed options available. Overnights and sleepers may have their charm, but ICE option which would cover a distance of 10 - 12hr sleeper service in 5 - 6 hrs is far better, I think.
16:08 YES PLEASE!!! I would absolutely love and appreciate, when you would do a video of the Kaz-Talgo-Train. I hope one day I can travel to Kazakhstan myself and in this case i would take a 1st-class compartment of the Talgo-Train for the journey from Astana to Almaty.
Watching your videos is a pleasure. Feel like throwing away everything and taking on train journeys all over the world. Enjoyable video, does'nt matter which country of the world it is.
really a charming view of the city, you can also see the cleanliness of the city and the bustle of people passing by with activities that make me want to have a vacation there. thank you for introducing such a beautiful city to us. Greetings Green Village from Indonesia :)
Yes, I can survive on Soviet era trains. Whilst I haven't travelled or even visited Kazakhstan, I have travelled from Vladivostok to Irkutsk (in 3rd class/Platzkart), Irkutsk to Omsk and Omsk to Moscow (Both in Kupe) in 2015 in similar Soviet era coaches.
Great trip and would like to see the newer trains after traveling in the oldest Look forward to your trips and a few others on RUclips a great way to see the world.
I have experience with the Russian built sleepers in Ukraine, it was a TVZ built carriage built somewhere in the 1980s or 90s and that one was already equipped with a vacuum toilet. The beds are very comfy indeed and suited for tall people thanks to the more generous loading gauge on the Russian broad gauge, it means that carriages can be wider as those in Europe and even the US. Having only some sockets in the corridor is a drawback, but as we were on a privately chartered train leaving your charging appliance alone was not a huge issue, but I can imagine that leaving your phone or camera unattended on a public service is not recommendable.
If to be honest - this one of best train types i ever seen. Comfy, really comfy beds, safe and comfortable. So much better designed then modern trains.
I have been traveled a lot with this Ammendorf type of sleeping cars, since I’m a former USSR enthusiast. With this train I traveled from Moldova to Russia, Central Asia, Mongolia and China.
What a great trip, and yeah you can speak little bit of Russian. Something unique about this video is when the National Railway Operating Locomotive, meanwhile Private Operator operating carriages. The difference vibe between Soviet Era carriage and Modern Carriage may be huge, but feels luxurious on older one. Yeah please try other Kazakhstan train, can't wait for it. I hope you also going to Uzbekistan and trying Aforsyob Train, considered as High Speed Train in Central Asia.
That's absolutely fantastic!! knowing you need to stock up on a few supplies is great cos i would have no problem spending 24 hrs on that lovely old /new ? train, i would be as happy as pie just to look out the windows at that gorgeous landscape. And it did look comfy! :)
Those soviet carriages are charming as hell. Aside from the heating issue, they seem built extremely well and have a much warmer cozy feel than anything new.
I love the Soviet era carriages built in former East Germany but I also understand that it could be a challenge to survive it for 24 hours with 3 other people in the same compartment. I would like to try it though but maybe not for an overnight trip. Rather, for a 4 to 5 hours day trip. I'm planning a trip to Central Asia this summer, so I can't wait to try different trains there. Thank you for the great video!
Try Dushanbe (Tajikistan) to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) route, it is an overnight trip with good 2-3 hour stop at the border. People are friendly there and you can observe customs guys literally disassembling train from inside in search for forbidden items ;).
Yes please! Please take a ride on the Flagship Train! .... and since you asked: This kind of travel is also something that I definitely want to do. Enjoy any further trips in some parts of the wold that are lesser known in the Western world.
Very good video. This reminds me of taking the real Canadian many times from Toronto to Thunder Bay 1315 km in 19 hrs. over the Canadian Pacific track hugging Lake Superior. Single track not electrified. But your train gets side tracked mostly by other passenger trains Learned something new about ammendorf coaches. Thought they were russian built. How these chinese eloks making out? Would love to take this train some day. 10 min late is nothing. Deutsche Bahn would have managed half a day more or less. Tea very cheap. My wife didn't want to pay 4.80 swiss franklis for hot water on recent very nice trip through switerland. But stunning scenery was free. Also reminds me of western Canada. Not boring at all.
Thanks for sharing this.. Not a bad train ride for the price. I love the fact that you are respectful, not like SoMe other train travel videos I've seen lately (not everywhere is Japan, for an example).. I have travelled in trains in Japan, China, India, Chile, Europe and Australia. I love travelling on trains, beats the hell out of travelling on long distance buses. In saying that, I am giving you a thumbs up and subscribing.
Night trains have one in common: they do not have to be fast which means that you can use old cars and and bad rails, so they survive longer than other trains - been on the Lisboa - Madrid classic, takes 12 hours for about 500 Km, but still operating :) // As a designated train lover I enjoyed the well researched video very much //
That's true on shorter routes where gunning it would get you there quicker than most people can get a full night of sleep, but on routes like this that are long enough to have a substantial daylight portion, it is hard to understand why this train has such low priority instead of trying to get there a bit faster.
@@passengerpigeon20 I think it's there's two reasons, first money. Foreign shipping companies that move stuff from China to Russia likely have much deeper pockets than the average Kazakh passenger. Second, infrastructure. They need to cover 1200 odd kilometers, which takes them 24 hours and change. So the average 50kph, which is not bad. For comparison, it's a similar distance from Amsterdam to Barcelona, which takes 11 hours and change on Eurostar and TGV. I can see those Kazakh trains do 120kph maybe 140kph maximum. Not the 300+ kph required to make it a feasible daylight journey. The infrastructure required just isn't there.
I love the suitably Soviet measurements at the start - "vaguely close to the city centre" and "not even slightly close". The 70's French light music was a delightful bonus at that point. I was waiting for some middle-aged bloke with a Gauloise hanging to his lower lip to turn up in a brand new Renault 16. Anyway cracking trip, except for the loos.
24 hours on a train is nothing exceptional in this part of the world. A few years ago I traveled by train from Brussels to Tashkent. The Moscow-Taskhkent leg of the trip took nearly 3 days, in a similar carriage. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
@@Originalman144 once or twice per day I imagine... and as far as I remember, it was kept clean during the whole trip. But I was in a "spalny wagon", i.e. with only two people per compartiment. 20 people for one toilet, that's not that much pressure, I suppose it helped. Also, spalny wagon is upper class travel over there, and all people in my car seemed to have good manners. I suppose this helped too.
You know its gonna be fun when the video starts with traffic honking xD A 24 hour ride? Wow, this is gonna be a good video. Aysa is kinda like Germany's Straß-Moos. Teeny, tiny villages with a "train station" (even Wikipedia puts it in quotes) Go for the overnight flagship train please.
I'm from Kazakhstan. And I used this train twice a year during my childhood. I felt nostalgia. You know such a familiar things... Of course it's pretty inconvenient, but cosy) Thank you!
Thanks. I've never been there, so it was interesting to see a sample of this vast country. I once declined an opportunity to visit Kazakhstan with all expenses paid. I had helped a government minister get a visa to visit the USA.
Thank you very much for featuring such a genuine experience about this country that is very rare to be shown by this point of view nowadays on the web, not to mention about traditional media of course !
About 20 years ago maybe a little longer I had a 1st class sleeper from Switzerland to Paris, whilst slightly cleaner and with a bit more space, it wasn't that different to your own experience including the failed heating, not overly fun in the middle of winter, I was glad to be able to board the Eurostar for a nice trip back home complete with breakfast. It wasn't particularly expensive as at the time I booked there was an upgrade deal going from 2nd to 1st class for something stupid like an extra £30 for the whole return journey. Power sockets on trains only really started to show up about 20 years ago as laptops, tablets and mobile phones became increasingly popular.
Like India, Kazakhstan seems to care about its railways, but one rarely travels on a train with a coal-powered heating system and East German carriages. Only in the Soviet Union (or what's left of it), but seeing the old and the new is a charm for any train geek. About that photo... are you really wearing that? Very spiffy for a conductor on a long train journey like that! 👨✈️
1 full day is far from long train journey even in Kazakhstan, not saying Russia :) We have train journeys that last for 70 hours and Russia has week long journeys
@@SuperalbsTravels riding in that train when there's +32C outside, no air conditioning inside and having an upper bunk to smell the fumes of the diesel locomotive coming though the vent in the window. Guess :D
This is not the fullness of the sensations from the Soviet train. The most authentic experience is being a passenger in a reserved seat car. In Russia and Kazakhstan, it is called a "Platskart". I have to note that in Russia such old wagons are almost not found.
Been on these now old Soviet trains for 24 hours when they were new. They looked pretty much the same except they were painted green instead of blue. And the service was the same as well. Just tea and hot water. Didn't experience failed heating systems, but we were traveling in summer so the heater wasn't needed.
В казахстане много новых собственных, зарубежных вагонов. Однако игнорирую их Я сяду только на старые советские Тверские вагоны. В старых вагонах история, микроклимат, атмосфера волшебное. Даже присутствует некий запах "времени" и конечно ДУХ и ДУША своеобразный
What an intrepid journey , compulsive watching ! I would have expected train connections between Almaty 1 and Almaty 2 , but I guess there were none. The first train was in Borat style , very nice.
Wooow... I'll never complain about a 25min delay again in my life in Germany. As long as my ICE arrives at all and gets me where i want to go, I'll be fine...i will sit in my seat, enjoying a beer i brought myself and be thinking: At least i don't have to travel in the Kazakhstan-conditions i watched on RUclips...😂❤🍻
Thank you for a great video - it was fun to watch. I liked the very reasonable calm approach of yours, without the unnecessary drama about the lack of some modern amenities. I have extensive experience with soviet-era trains, but most of my journeys as an adult were 8 to 14 hours. I only took a 48-hour long rail trip as a small kid, and I would suspect that my coupe was a pinch more simple. :-))) Keep up the good work! Greetings from St. Petersburg, RU!
I took Almaty-Toshkent, 17hrs last summer. And Almaty-Karagandy also last summer. Except I chose a faster route. It took only 12hrs from Almaty/Alma-Ata to Karagandy (14hrs30m till Astana). The annoying part was that I couldn't buy tickets online because at that time they only took Russian cards (which I don't have and even if I had, they would've already been under sanctions) or some weird local app that didn't work at the time. I read that they fixed that in the meantime. Other than that, riding the train in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is really kosher.
24 hours on that train....no problem...if, like you, i would get a part time job as conductor ....and people would wonder why i do not speak the language... 😊😊great video, and the train ride around Kazakhstan... many thanks... 🚂🚂
I would like to see more of Kazakhstan's rail system, the landscape & the stations. I am curious: next to the rail station you referred to as a "shack" were two small structures - the smaller looking very much like a rural American outhouse. Was it?
What an amazing video! I remember by trip from Moscow to Astana via train! This 4-5 day trip has always been a story, and the train becoming more of a community. I wonder did this train had platzkart - would be cool if you explained a bit about that - since this is something very weird for a layout.
Amtrak is quite good in electrification, actually, as Amtrak only owns a fraction of all tracks in the US (it's telling that the only electrified line of Metra runs on Amtrak tracks). It's most of the other track owners / operators who struggle with electrification, freight railways in particular but passengers too.
One of the best journeys I took on one of these trains was from St Petersburg to Chelyabinsk on a Kazakh train. I didn't think I'd survive two and a half days on it, but it turned out to be really relaxing, just drinking plenty of tea and listening to music. The lighting was too dim to read, so that was all you could do!
Being raised on Ammendorf coaches in the USSR I probably would :) Happy to see you're getting closer and closer to Russia. If you ever decide to come here I got a place to stay for as long as you'd like and some trip suggestions.
Back in 1990s I did often ride this kind of train across Latvia. It was fun. They had TVs in every room playing Arnold Achwarzenegger or Van Damme or Rambo. I really miss these trains. Their super cozy and have a good vibe.
Surprisingly, Gorna Oriyahovica station also has a claw machine (its a station in Bulgaria, I believe it was in one of your videos on Sofia to Bucharest)
If the older carriages are from the 1980s then they're probably about the same age as the rakes on the GWR Night Riviera, just without the refurbishment.
Great video! Good job with having learned some russian, that helps A LOT in that part of the world and gives you a way better understanding of the area too. Looking forward to your other Kazakh videos!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
The scenery and being shunted over for every train that is nearby reminds me of my Amtrak trip from Chicago to Seattle last February.
Yup. Passenger trains are second-class citizens on Amtrak - freight has priority. We took the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago some twenty years ago next month and what was a 17 hour scheduled journey turned into a 23 hour one. Not only did we get shunted sideways for freight, but a freight train ahead of us broke down and caused us to be re-routed via Cleveland OH. If nothing else, it proved how comfortable the seats were and being the Capitol Limited, it also had a (very popular) observation car attached.
@@daigriffiths399 aren’t passenger trains officially priority, but because the freight corporations make trains longer than the sidings/passing track amtrak is then forced to give way?
@@onelyone6976 No idea, TBH. I live in Ireland and that trip was part of the run home after spending a year at college in KY. I will say a mile-long freight train with two headers, two bankers and one in the middle is a real sight to behold. On that particular day we were in IL on the way back to KY and the driver suddenly realised that a) the level crossing was about two miles ahead and b) that freighter was shifting. We beat it 😄
Then there's Canada, whose rail network is also more of a freight network (mainly Canadian National [CN] and Canadian Pacific [CP]).
@@onelyone6976 it's because Amtrak is not the owner of the tracks
There´s always a special cozy charm in those old soviet night trains that one can´t find in more modern ones...
"Apples are a local specialty in Almaty" that's actually where the name Almaty comes from! Aлма/Alma is the Kazakh word for apple, and Almaty means "full of apples"! The wild Malus sieversii is considered the ancestor of the modern domestic apple and it is native to southern Kazakhstan! That aside, I can totally picture Bald & Bankrupt saying "Soviet station, Soviet train, Soviet toilet" while watching this 😂Love how much the Kazakhs embrace their cool culture and how it's reflected on not just their gorgeous flag but also the tiling at Almaty-1 station! And honestly as a history buff, I get this journey on a Soviet train might be torture for some, but for someone like me, I enjoy and respect the charm and it's still an experience at the end of the day
If bald was here…
bald and bankrupt is a sex pest, disgusting filthy man brazenly sexually harasses young girls in his videos
Funny thing is, alma means apple in hungarian as well... We most probably picked up that word while we were nomadic people moving from modern day russia to central europe.
@@Ezmiez99I’ll tell you more: Hungarians are the ancient ancestors of the Kypshaks, the ancient Kazakh tribe. The Kazakh language was formed from ancient Kypshak, which in turn is very similar to the ancient Turkic language🤷🏼♂️🤜🏼🤛🏼
Alma is also the Hungarian word for apple and I used to own a house in a city named (Balaton)Almádi which sounds so similar
On my student language trip to Russia in 1987 we took trains from Helsinki to Moscow, Moscow to Kharkov and again to Kiev, and then back, Kiev to Helsinki. I'm pretty sure you were in the same carriage 😂. Nice to see how well they held up! I enjoyed your video
I've ridden a Ukrainian railways carriage last summer. The same construction, but in better state.
Thank you! Sounds like a cool trip, yet totally impossible today... :(
Извините но у вас с географией не очень...
@@АЛЬБЕРТКучерявый-д1щ Хельсинки, Москва, Харьков, Киев, Хельсинки. Y меня хорошая география, мой английский плохой. Да, это мой родной язык 😛
The renaming from Nur-Sultan to Astana is more of a re-renaming! The city became the capital in 1997, and Astana was the name given to it in 1998. It became Nur-Sultan in 2019 after Nursultan Nazarbayev retired. But as the country became more open about Nazarbayev’s legacy, they chose to change it back to Astana. four tickets so you could have it to yourself is quite the power move! When it comes to our own rail network, while pretty much all our electric locomotives are made in-house, our diesel locomotives were made in either China or the former Soviet Union. Even we have German rolling stock as our Pyongyang Metro is famous for having Berlin U-Bahn rolling stock, but recently we’ve also built a metro train in-house.
I hope Superalbs does a video about the Moscow - Pyongang trip on the Trans Siberian someday.
The name change back to Astana has a lot to do with Nazarbayev falling out of favour after the massive protest and unrest in early 2022 and the politcial game that plays out during and after it.
Tokayev basically kick out Nazarbayev remaining influences (despite Nazarbayev picked Tokayev ) as a result. The name change also has a lot to say that time for Nazarbayev and his people to influences politics behind the scene is over. Calling CSTO troops in alsop is a brillant move to stop Nazarbayev launching a potential coup.
@@789know that’s what I mean by open, as in people became very vocally against Nazarbayev and his influence
@@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un hello
@@trondypond Pyongyang is not on the Trans-Siberian Railway, its final stop is Vladivostok... there is a branch in the form of a single track railway to North Korea
and if the condition of the tracks on the Trans-Siberian Railway is good (I live near it, I know.), then the railway in the DPRK kapets is rusty
Only ten minutes late for such a long journey. The whole thing seems to be quite well organized. These old Ammendorf carriages still do their job!
Man a great video. Unlike many rail RUclipsrs (including more famous ones) you really seem to put a lot of effort into meeting locals and trying to communicate in their languages. And you do some sketchy places.
Thanks! I really love to try things like this! :)
It's clearly happy to see my town! 10:26 , Thanks for showing it off! And calling it with its name properly, hehe. If you travel again, please visit this small town! I'll be always welcome to show you my town off!! +1 new subscriber!!
Your town looks nice!
@@SumitBisht0 thanks!!
Nice! I recently got off the train there to buy some water. 😅
I rode the train through Kazakhstan this winter, and caught this wonderful weather like in the video. it's one of the best sceneries I've seen in my life, endless icy desert, sparse Kazakh villages, bright sun shining through your window. The views from the train window in real life are even more impressive. It's -30 outside and a mouth is steaming, so my thermos is cracked from the pressure difference.
It really is an experience to remember! 🇰🇿
Ah, Kazakhstan! I had nearly a year working in Almaty 16 years ago - fascinating place that I didn't make the most of....... I didn't use public transport at all, though, walked evertywhere after a couple of colleagues had distressing experiences in taxis. Nur-Sultan was called Astana in those days too, I hadn't realized it had reverted. At that time the country was described as being the size of Western Europe with a population the size of the Netherlands. I also ate horsemeat a few times, including once in a pastie about twice the size of Ginster's finest - and very tasty it was too! Great video that brought back some bittersweet memories. Thanks.
Wow, great memories there! Glad you enjoyed. :)
I love it how much patience you have. You also almost never moan or complain and I never hear you talking badly or down even about some of really old train's you traveled with. Clearly person who enjoys their journeys and train rides ❤
I really love travelling on trains like this, you're right! 😍
Well, not the worst experience for sure. If you want real extreme, ride one of Tajik or Uzbek trains to Moscow where most of the occupants are season workers.
The new coach you were in is not built but assembled by Tulkar-Talgo using TVZ (Russian coach and EMU manufacturer) parts. Pretty good one even if not very comfortable when it's hot outside.
I took the Andijan-Moscow train to Aktyubinsk, in a reserved seat car. The car was packed with Tajiks and their goods on the very ceiling, I alone had a legal ticket in the entire car! Everything poured and fell apart, drunkenness, fights constantly. It was a memorable trip.
Well that sounds pretty brutal! I'll have to try it one day. 😃
@@SuperalbsTravels They're rough people but usually they wouldn't bother strangers and tourists alike. Just don't expect to get any proper shuteye on the entire journey.
I remember on the express train overnight in Kazakhstan once when on the new Talgo carriages and the "restaurant car" mentioned had a lovely comprehensive and cheap menu....but nothing was really available! I think there was one choice for meat eaters and for vegetarians like me I got served a Kit Kat chocolate bar, on a silver plate, under a silver cover. The best thing about the old Soviet style carriages is the space on them - I've spent overnight journeys on them in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Ukraine, always a great way to travel. Really enjoyed the video.
The biggest problem with EU-style coaches are 3 benches per coupe (or even 6) - really uncomfortable.
@@runoflife87 I was on a UK long distance train (well it was long distance for the UK) a few years ago and it felt TINY compared to the old Soviet and Eastern European sized trains. Luckily not overnight, but I agree about the EU coupe too.
Kazakhstan is a very under-rated country as is Ubekistan to the South, I must say that I like the way you explain everything including the stations and the trains, keep up the good work
Thanks, and I agree!
Reminded me of a long holiday journey I did in 1996, in rolling stock of that type, from Beijing to Brussel Midi, via Ulan Bator, Irkustk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow. Diesel hauled from Beijing as far as the Trans Siberian route, which was electrified all the way west. The gauge change method between China and Mongolia was quite dramatic, with us being on board while they changed all the bogies inside the workshop from standard to Russian. An awful lot of manual labour to remove each one from the side and insert the other. By way of contrast, the system used between Belarus and Poland was a bit more modern, with long cable laid out so that the whole set could be pulled out in one move, with the others being dropped off at each carriage in a similar fashion.
Ah yeah, gauge changing is always really interesting to watch!
Honestly this didn't look that bad apart from the toilets and lack of wall outlets, but like the latter is to be expected on such an old carriage. Apart from that it seemed quite comfy and if you can just make do without some modern amenities and prepare a bit it seems like a perfectly comfortable ride. I mean it's certainly more comfortable than most hostels in Europe. Also the staff seemed really friendly though that probably isn't gaurenteed. They might be old carriages but they were clearly built to a decent level of comfort back then and that holds up.
I agree! Old-fashioned, but super cosy and enjoyable.
The Soviet era sleeping wagons were superior to their modern day equvalents. I remember traveling in them as a child and they were always so nice and cozy. The ones nowadays lack a soul and aren't nice at all.
Agreed, these old carriages are super cosy! :)
Traveled in both: old and new. New are far better and more comfortable. Maybe this is a child memory playing for you, but I remember even being a child I did not like lots of stuff in these carriages. I have not tried the brand-new designs though. Maybe they became worse, but the ones with vacuum toilets and air conditioner are already very cool. Thing is soviet and post-soviet railways are mostly offering sleepers for intercity connections. Because of huge distances and a lack of high-speed service. In Europe it is mostly seat service due to shorter distance and high-speed options available. Overnights and sleepers may have their charm, but ICE option which would cover a distance of 10 - 12hr sleeper service in 5 - 6 hrs is far better, I think.
16:08 YES PLEASE!!! I would absolutely love and appreciate, when you would do a video of the Kaz-Talgo-Train. I hope one day I can travel to Kazakhstan myself and in this case i would take a 1st-class compartment of the Talgo-Train for the journey from Astana to Almaty.
Watching your videos is a pleasure. Feel like throwing away everything and taking on train journeys all over the world. Enjoyable video, does'nt matter which country of the world it is.
Thank you so much! 😁
really a charming view of the city, you can also see the cleanliness of the city and the bustle of people passing by with activities that make me want to have a vacation there. thank you for introducing such a beautiful city to us. Greetings Green Village from Indonesia :)
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed seeing it!
Yes, I can survive on Soviet era trains. Whilst I haven't travelled or even visited Kazakhstan, I have travelled from Vladivostok to Irkutsk (in 3rd class/Platzkart), Irkutsk to Omsk and Omsk to Moscow (Both in Kupe) in 2015 in similar Soviet era coaches.
That's a brutal journey in Platskart! 😂
Great trip and would like to see the newer trains after traveling in the oldest Look forward to your trips and a few others on RUclips a great way to see the world.
Thanks so much! I'll share the other ones soon. :)
I have experience with the Russian built sleepers in Ukraine, it was a TVZ built carriage built somewhere in the 1980s or 90s and that one was already equipped with a vacuum toilet.
The beds are very comfy indeed and suited for tall people thanks to the more generous loading gauge on the Russian broad gauge, it means that carriages can be wider as those in Europe and even the US.
Having only some sockets in the corridor is a drawback, but as we were on a privately chartered train leaving your charging appliance alone was not a huge issue, but I can imagine that leaving your phone or camera unattended on a public service is not recommendable.
If to be honest - this one of best train types i ever seen. Comfy, really comfy beds, safe and comfortable. So much better designed then modern trains.
I have been traveled a lot with this Ammendorf type of sleeping cars, since I’m a former USSR enthusiast.
With this train I traveled from Moldova to Russia, Central Asia, Mongolia and China.
Great fun! I love how cosy they are. :)
12:28 the snow is perfectly behind the carts of the train that it looks like it’s part of the train
Oh yeah! 😂
What a great trip, and yeah you can speak little bit of Russian. Something unique about this video is when the National Railway Operating Locomotive, meanwhile Private Operator operating carriages. The difference vibe between Soviet Era carriage and Modern Carriage may be huge, but feels luxurious on older one. Yeah please try other Kazakhstan train, can't wait for it. I hope you also going to Uzbekistan and trying Aforsyob Train, considered as High Speed Train in Central Asia.
I'm going to Uzbekistan end of this month and both riding Afrosiyob and old Soviet might train, so excited!!!
I'm in Uzbekistan right now, so that video will be on the way... :)
@@SuperalbsTravels having returned now (obviously) I can attest both were very cool
Seems like very kind people ready to share whatever they can 🙏
They're great people in my experience! 😌
A very cosy looking compartment - such a contrast to the almost ubiquitous white/grey wall coverings of most public transport nowadays.
That's absolutely fantastic!! knowing you need to stock up on a few supplies is great cos i would have no problem spending 24 hrs on that lovely old /new ? train, i would be as happy as pie just to look out the windows at that gorgeous landscape. And it did look comfy! :)
Those soviet carriages are charming as hell. Aside from the heating issue, they seem built extremely well and have a much warmer cozy feel than anything new.
I love the Soviet era carriages built in former East Germany but I also understand that it could be a challenge to survive it for 24 hours with 3 other people in the same compartment. I would like to try it though but maybe not for an overnight trip. Rather, for a 4 to 5 hours day trip. I'm planning a trip to Central Asia this summer, so I can't wait to try different trains there. Thank you for the great video!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed! :)
Try Dushanbe (Tajikistan) to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) route, it is an overnight trip with good 2-3 hour stop at the border. People are friendly there and you can observe customs guys literally disassembling train from inside in search for forbidden items ;).
ЕСТЬ ВАГОНЫ СВ, С ДВУХМЕСТНЫМИ КУПЕ... СООТВЕТСТВЕННО, СТОЯТ В 2 РАЗА ДОРОЖЕ.
@kon-stan-tin haha not sure it's a great experience. Anyhow, I ended up flying from Dushanbe to Tashkent and it was nice and quick, cheap too :-)
You can buy all 4 seats fot your self
Yes please! Please take a ride on the Flagship Train!
.... and since you asked: This kind of travel is also something that I definitely want to do.
Enjoy any further trips in some parts of the wold that are lesser known in the Western world.
Very good video.
This reminds me of taking the real Canadian many times from Toronto to Thunder Bay 1315 km in 19 hrs. over the Canadian Pacific track hugging Lake Superior.
Single track not electrified.
But your train gets side tracked mostly by other passenger trains
Learned something new about ammendorf coaches. Thought they were russian built.
How these chinese eloks making out?
Would love to take this train some day.
10 min late is nothing.
Deutsche Bahn would have managed half a day more or less.
Tea very cheap.
My wife didn't want to pay 4.80 swiss franklis for hot water on recent very nice trip through switerland. But stunning scenery was free.
Also reminds me of western Canada. Not boring at all.
Thanks for sharing this.. Not a bad train ride for the price. I love the fact that you are respectful, not like SoMe other train travel videos I've seen lately (not everywhere is Japan, for an example).. I have travelled in trains in Japan, China, India, Chile, Europe and Australia. I love travelling on trains, beats the hell out of travelling on long distance buses. In saying that, I am giving you a thumbs up and subscribing.
Thank you so much! 😁
Night trains have one in common: they do not have to be fast which means that you can use old cars and and bad rails, so they survive longer than other trains - been on the Lisboa - Madrid classic, takes 12 hours for about 500 Km, but still operating :) // As a designated train lover I enjoyed the well researched video very much //
There's also the Hanoi-Lao Cai overnight train that takes 8.5h to cover ~300km
I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
That's true on shorter routes where gunning it would get you there quicker than most people can get a full night of sleep, but on routes like this that are long enough to have a substantial daylight portion, it is hard to understand why this train has such low priority instead of trying to get there a bit faster.
@@passengerpigeon20 I think it's there's two reasons, first money. Foreign shipping companies that move stuff from China to Russia likely have much deeper pockets than the average Kazakh passenger. Second, infrastructure. They need to cover 1200 odd kilometers, which takes them 24 hours and change. So the average 50kph, which is not bad.
For comparison, it's a similar distance from Amsterdam to Barcelona, which takes 11 hours and change on Eurostar and TGV. I can see those Kazakh trains do 120kph maybe 140kph maximum. Not the 300+ kph required to make it a feasible daylight journey. The infrastructure required just isn't there.
I love the suitably Soviet measurements at the start - "vaguely close to the city centre" and "not even slightly close". The 70's French light music was a delightful bonus at that point. I was waiting for some middle-aged bloke with a Gauloise hanging to his lower lip to turn up in a brand new Renault 16. Anyway cracking trip, except for the loos.
24 hours on a train is nothing exceptional in this part of the world. A few years ago I traveled by train from Brussels to Tashkent. The Moscow-Taskhkent leg of the trip took nearly 3 days, in a similar carriage. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
How many times did you use the toilet on the Moscow-Tashkent segment? Was it as bad as in this video?
@@Originalman144 once or twice per day I imagine... and as far as I remember, it was kept clean during the whole trip. But I was in a "spalny wagon", i.e. with only two people per compartiment. 20 people for one toilet, that's not that much pressure, I suppose it helped. Also, spalny wagon is upper class travel over there, and all people in my car seemed to have good manners. I suppose this helped too.
@@Originalman144 are the toilets squat type or normal type.
You know its gonna be fun when the video starts with traffic honking xD
A 24 hour ride? Wow, this is gonna be a good video.
Aysa is kinda like Germany's Straß-Moos. Teeny, tiny villages with a "train station" (even Wikipedia puts it in quotes)
Go for the overnight flagship train please.
Thanks! More from Kazakhstan to come... :)
I'm from Kazakhstan. And I used this train twice a year during my childhood. I felt nostalgia. You know such a familiar things... Of course it's pretty inconvenient, but cosy)
Thank you!
что именно не удобно ?
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. :)
Thanks. I've never been there, so it was interesting to see a sample of this vast country. I once declined an opportunity to visit Kazakhstan with all expenses paid. I had helped a government minister get a visa to visit the USA.
Thank you very much for featuring such a genuine experience about this country that is very rare to be shown by this point of view nowadays on the web, not to mention about traditional media of course !
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed, I really liked the experience, so it's nice to share it with you. :)
About 20 years ago maybe a little longer I had a 1st class sleeper from Switzerland to Paris, whilst slightly cleaner and with a bit more space, it wasn't that different to your own experience including the failed heating, not overly fun in the middle of winter, I was glad to be able to board the Eurostar for a nice trip back home complete with breakfast. It wasn't particularly expensive as at the time I booked there was an upgrade deal going from 2nd to 1st class for something stupid like an extra £30 for the whole return journey. Power sockets on trains only really started to show up about 20 years ago as laptops, tablets and mobile phones became increasingly popular.
Your videos are the highlight of my week
Thank you so much! 😍😍😍
Казахстан более 30 лет как независимое государство, а поезда, сервис в них, на уровне советского союза.
Like India, Kazakhstan seems to care about its railways, but one rarely travels on a train with a coal-powered heating system and East German carriages. Only in the Soviet Union (or what's left of it), but seeing the old and the new is a charm for any train geek.
About that photo... are you really wearing that? Very spiffy for a conductor on a long train journey like that! 👨✈️
1 full day is far from long train journey even in Kazakhstan, not saying Russia :) We have train journeys that last for 70 hours and Russia has week long journeys
It's a coal-powered heating system, on an ELECTRIC railway. It's really eclectic.
@@AlexBesogonov You can't rely on electric heating in -40 degrees Celsius, then you need FIRE, that's why!
@@Ksiaz There are electric trains in Nordic countries that have electric heating.
@@AlexBesogonov Did they also exist 30+ years ago?
In those days when soviet wagons were created?
What a marvellous trip! Breathtaking scenery :D
Raises some memories! Thanks for making this video.
Good memories or bad memories? 😂
@@SuperalbsTravels riding in that train when there's +32C outside, no air conditioning inside and having an upper bunk to smell the fumes of the diesel locomotive coming though the vent in the window. Guess :D
@@andreyzhavoronkov6746 Sounds like great memories, ahahaha! :D
I am going to spend a lot of time on these trains in the future that's for sure! There is just this charm about this side of the world.
Would love to see a video on the new Talgo train!
Okay, will do! :)
This is not the fullness of the sensations from the Soviet train. The most authentic experience is being a passenger in a reserved seat car. In Russia and Kazakhstan, it is called a "Platskart".
I have to note that in Russia such old wagons are almost not found.
Hi from Kaz, just for info, the horses were not wild 😅, just freely grazing ones
Been on these now old Soviet trains for 24 hours when they were new. They looked pretty much the same except they were painted green instead of blue.
And the service was the same as well. Just tea and hot water. Didn't experience failed heating systems, but we were traveling in summer so the heater wasn't needed.
В казахстане много новых собственных, зарубежных вагонов. Однако игнорирую их Я сяду только на старые советские Тверские вагоны. В старых вагонах история, микроклимат, атмосфера волшебное. Даже присутствует некий запах "времени" и конечно ДУХ и ДУША своеобразный
It's definitely a classic experience!
What an intrepid journey , compulsive watching !
I would have expected train connections between Almaty 1 and Almaty 2 , but I guess there were none.
The first train was in Borat style , very nice.
Eventually they will be connected by the metro. Some trains go between 2 and 1 but not for transiting passengers.
I think having a blog on Khazah Talgo’s train would be a great idea.
Okay, I'll work on that! :)
Wooow...
I'll never complain about a 25min delay again in my life in Germany. As long as my ICE arrives at all and gets me where i want to go, I'll be fine...i will sit in my seat, enjoying a beer i brought myself and be thinking: At least i don't have to travel in the Kazakhstan-conditions i watched on RUclips...😂❤🍻
What a ride! Must have been an experience of life.😁
It was! Glad I did the journey.
mad respect for putting yourself through all of this!
Haha thanks! 😇 hope you enjoyed
Thank you for a great video - it was fun to watch. I liked the very reasonable calm approach of yours, without the unnecessary drama about the lack of some modern amenities. I have extensive experience with soviet-era trains, but most of my journeys as an adult were 8 to 14 hours. I only took a 48-hour long rail trip as a small kid, and I would suspect that my coupe was a pinch more simple. :-))) Keep up the good work! Greetings from St. Petersburg, RU!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the journey! :)
Yes I'd love a video of the flagship overnight line.
It's coming in the future... 👀
I took Almaty-Toshkent, 17hrs last summer. And Almaty-Karagandy also last summer. Except I chose a faster route. It took only 12hrs from Almaty/Alma-Ata to Karagandy (14hrs30m till Astana).
The annoying part was that I couldn't buy tickets online because at that time they only took Russian cards (which I don't have and even if I had, they would've already been under sanctions) or some weird local app that didn't work at the time. I read that they fixed that in the meantime.
Other than that, riding the train in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is really kosher.
24 hours on that train....no problem...if, like you, i would get a part time job as conductor ....and people would wonder why i do not speak the language... 😊😊great video, and the train ride around Kazakhstan... many thanks... 🚂🚂
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
You're such a crush in this Qazaqstani railways uniform💛
Another great video!
Thank you!
I would like to see more of Kazakhstan's rail system, the landscape & the stations. I am curious: next to the rail station you referred to as a "shack" were two small structures - the smaller looking very much like a rural American outhouse. Was it?
There are a lot of outhouses in Kazakhstan, due to lack of modern infrastructure in remote areas.
Splendid and super interesting Video, thank you !
Thank you! 😃
Please review the Talgo carriages
Okay, I'll make the video soon! :)
Please review Talgo overnight train.
Okay, will do!
Great video. BTW, you should definitely make some reviews on Chinese Railway, which has some unique carriges and lines to be talked about.
Hope to get there next year. 😎
12:50 - actually those cast iron thrones built with a thougt that you can squat on them in mind, if something goes wrong.
Yeah. And that's a bit more hygienic too actually. :)
What an amazing video! I remember by trip from Moscow to Astana via train! This 4-5 day trip has always been a story, and the train becoming more of a community. I wonder did this train had platzkart - would be cool if you explained a bit about that - since this is something very weird for a layout.
Thank you Albs channel, i will book my trains from Almaty-2
Happy to be of assistance!
Guy, your videos are very very good invested time to spend watching. :) Keep going, very good voice, cut and informations. Great!!!
Thank you! :)
Thank you! It was really interesting :)
Privet from Kharkiv, Ukraine and welcome to Ukraine.
Thanks! I loved visiting Kharkiv! 🇺🇦
I loved you vlog, as it reminds me my journey of Russian Railways in 2018.
Thank you! They use similar carriages. :)
This reminds me so much of Amtrak in so many ways, except Amtrak is way behind in terms of electrification.
Sadly Americans mind the capital costs too much and then end up building nothing.
The states use to be a leader in electrification of railways but now sadly a non player
Amtrak is quite good in electrification, actually, as Amtrak only owns a fraction of all tracks in the US (it's telling that the only electrified line of Metra runs on Amtrak tracks). It's most of the other track owners / operators who struggle with electrification, freight railways in particular but passengers too.
Fun and informative video. Thank you.
Wonderful classic train. I miss this so..
One of the best journeys I took on one of these trains was from St Petersburg to Chelyabinsk on a Kazakh train. I didn't think I'd survive two and a half days on it, but it turned out to be really relaxing, just drinking plenty of tea and listening to music. The lighting was too dim to read, so that was all you could do!
The name of the destination is Astana since 1998. They only changed the name to Nur-Sultan between 2019 and 2022.
Yes, I went there when it had the previous name.
Those water boilers at 9:30 called "Titan", not "samovar"(selfboil)
Thank you!
Being raised on Ammendorf coaches in the USSR I probably would :) Happy to see you're getting closer and closer to Russia. If you ever decide to come here I got a place to stay for as long as you'd like and some trip suggestions.
Thanks! I will not be visiting Russia right now, but I would love to one day, there's so much to see! 😁
@@SuperalbsTravels I'm looking forward to your visit very much! I might even be able to accommodate you if you choose to visit.
@@RussianSevereWeatherVideos Thanks! I'll have to let you know closer to the time. 😁
@@SuperalbsTravels Always happy to help. Don't think you've ridden long distance double-decker sleeping cars before.
@@RussianSevereWeatherVideos Ah, I have in Finland. :)
6:00 Not Shinak and Shyganak
I recently found your channel and enjoy watching all the train movies. It would be great, if you include in the description the date of travel.
Hi! Thank you so much!
This trip was made in late February 2022. 😁🇰🇿
Suggest yyyy-mm-dd format as it helps sort things by ascending dates.
Such nostalgic travelling, that makes me thinking about my childhood again.
Good or bad memories? 😂
@@SuperalbsTravels Actually both 😄
Thank you again for this video, I am always hyped for wednesday evening! Out of curiosity, what languages do u speak?
Only English, but a few words in various other languages that come in handy. :)
Excellent video!!! Thanks !!!
Thank you! :)
Just subb'd. I feel a binge watch of this channel in the coming days. Thank you, great content.
Thank you so much, hope you enjoyed! 😃
Another great video, well researched. Can I suggested that we transfer the London ULEZ to Karaganda - it sounds like they need it more than we do.
Great idea! 😂
You definitely should see Borovoe, not far from Astana, very beautiful place
Back in 1990s I did often ride this kind of train across Latvia. It was fun. They had TVs in every room playing Arnold Achwarzenegger or Van Damme or Rambo. I really miss these trains. Their super cozy and have a good vibe.
Awesome! 😃
Latvia actually exported a lot of its carriages to Kazakhstan. I went on one recently. :)
5:34 WOW! level boarding!
Yeahhh, kinda... 😂😂😂
Surprisingly, Gorna Oriyahovica station also has a claw machine (its a station in Bulgaria, I believe it was in one of your videos on Sofia to Bucharest)
Oh really? That's awesome! 😂
Laughed outloud when you mentioned people asked you about the tea
If the older carriages are from the 1980s then they're probably about the same age as the rakes on the GWR Night Riviera, just without the refurbishment.
Some of them are from the 1970s, not sure when production finished.
Didn't these Talgo overnight sets (15:42) run between Paris and Madrid in an earlier life?
Great video! Good job with having learned some russian, that helps A LOT in that part of the world and gives you a way better understanding of the area too. Looking forward to your other Kazakh videos!
Thank you! More to come!
Toilet’s Ukrainian worthy.
Same trains operate in Ukrainian’s long distance journeys. I did Odessa-Lvov summer 2021. Platzkart beds were epic.
the beginning of your video proved that the Dacia/Renault Logan is very popular as a taxi car in post soviet countries and rightfully so.