History of the Lev Tolstoy Train

Although Finland to Russia trains have been running since 1870, the Moscow to Helsinki train service was not established until 1954! At first, this was a fairly basic train which did not even run direct between Moscow and Helsinki: as the railways from Helsinki to Leningrad and Moscow to Leningrad terminated at different stations, the carriages had to be uncoupled and shuttled to a different station before continuing on their journey.

The direct train from Helsinki to Moscow, which would later be called the Lev Tolstoy train, was first launched on 30^th May 1975. It was a fancier, branded train which had a smart restaurant car and 1^st class sleeping cabins, and was the first overnight train to reach speeds of 120 km. What’s more, it ran straight between the two capitals, stopping at the Ruchyi station in Leningrad’s Soviet outskirts instead of detouring via the central terminals. While the Moscow-Helsinki train was named after Lev Tolstoy, its Leningrad-Helsinki counterpart was named after famous artist Ilya Repin.

The Lev Tolstoy train still serves the Moscow to Helsinki route today, via St Petersburg’s Ladozhsky Station, and it was fully renovated in 2014 with Austrian-built carriages. Although the Lev Tolstoy isn’t the quickest train between Finland and Russia (the top spot is held by the high-speed Allegro), it’s not all about the destination but the journey too. Travelling on the Lev Tolstoy offers passengers the special night train experience of bedding down in one country and waking up in another. Besides, what the journey lacks in speed it makes up for in comfort and convenience! VIP carriages, a 19^th-century inspired restaurant car, complimentary meals, a souvenir store, and on-board border control and currency exchange are some of the amenities and services you can expect on board.