The first domestically-produced electric train "Finist" started its first route
The first four carriages of the ES104 series, which were produced at the Ural Locomotives Plant, entered service at Sverdlovsk Railways. A ceremonial start saw the "Finist" depart from Yekaterinburg to Kamensk-Uralsky.
The five-carriage configuration of the new ES104 train has 401 seats, excluding folding seats and seats for passengers with limited mobility. The shape of the seats has been changed to increase the level of comfort, especially when passengers are travelling long distances. Each seat is equipped with a USB socket for charging mobile devices, while the number of sanitary modules in the carriages has been increased from two to three and seen the installation of changing tables. The train also has space for wheelchairs and wheelchair lifts. In addition, the carriages are equipped with an effective microclimate and air disinfection system.
The name for the new train – "Finist" – was chosen by a popular vote which was held from 4 to 12 December 2023 on the Russian Railways website. Almost 43,000 people cast their vote. The "Finist" is the Russian equivalent of the Phoenix, the legendary bird which symbolises eternal renewal and rebirth. This image mirrors the trajectory of the "Lastochka", which was transformed from an electric train made entirely abroad to a train manufactured exclusively in Russia.
ES104 is a Russian DC electric train that meets all modern requirements in the fields of ergonomics and safety. The production of ES104 was launched at the Ural Locomotives plant, which is part of the part of the Sinara Group and is located in Verkhnyaya Pyshma in Sverdlovsk Region. The key advantage of the new model is its domestically-produced traction equipment, which enables the train’s rapid acceleration to 160 kph and effective braking with energy recovery into the electrical network. In the future, this model will become the base platform for a whole range of new generation high-speed electric trains, including dual-system and hybrid modifications such as autonomous traction batteries.