The themed retro electric train ER9E has departed on its first journey along the Gorky railway.

      Photo: Yulia Ivanova The Gorky Railway and JSC "VVPPK" launched the restored themed retro train ER9E No. 618 "Red Bird" for the first time on the route Nizhny Novgorod - Semyonov on June 3. The ceremonial presentation of the train and its launch for the first trip took place at the Nizhny Novgorod railway station. The event was attended by the head of the Gorky Railway - a branch of JSC "RZD" Sergey Dorofeevskiy, the Minister of Education of the Nizhny Novgorod region Mikhail Puchkov, acting Minister of Tourism and Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod region Alexander Zakharichev, Deputy Head of the City Administration, Head of the Kanavinsky District Administration of Nizhny Novgorod Artyom Ivanov, General Director of JSC "Volga-Vyatka Suburban Passenger Company" Natalia Romanova, as well as the honored worker of culture of the Russian Federation, Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, film director, screenwriter, producer, theater teacher Nikita Vysotsky. "The launch of the updated retro train is an important event not only for the Gorky Railway but also for the development of the tourist potential of the Nizhny Novgorod region. 42 years ago, in October 1984, the electric train ER9E No. 618 first opened suburban traffic along the southern route of the railway, transporting thousands of passengers daily. Today we give the 'Red Bird' a second life. The railway workers have done a tremendous job so that every passenger of the retro train feels nostalgia and can remember pleasant moments of their life," emphasized Sergey Dorofeevskiy. The electric train consists of four cars, each of which is designed in the format of a museum on wheels. For example, in the "Back to the USSR" car, in addition to authentic visual design, there are genuine items from the Soviet era: a typewriter, scales, books, dishes, a restored radio, a 1960s "ZIL" refrigerator, and a telephone booth with a telephone. The cars "Well, Just You Wait!", "Love and Pigeons," and "Vysotsky" were decorated with the support of "Mosfilm," "Soyuzmultfilm," and the State Museum of Vladimir Vysotsky with the personal participation of its director Nikita Vysotsky. They reflect not only famous scenes and frames but also recognizable household and interior items that help immerse visitors in the era of Soviet cinema, animation, and music. "The 'Red Bird' is a real time machine that connects eras and gives travelers the opportunity to live history in motion. The passenger finds themselves not in a usual electric train but in a museum on wheels, where each car tells its warm, nostalgic story through details, images, and the atmosphere of the Soviet past. I am sure this project will breathe new life into the tourist routes of the region, surprise even seasoned travelers, and become a bright business card of Nizhny Novgorod's hospitality," said the Minister of Tourism and Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod region Sergey Yakovlev. The restoration and stylization work on the train was carried out in two stages and took about six months. In the first stage, a general concept of the train was developed, and models of the cars were designed. In the second stage, work was done to replace windows, insulate, install restored benches and new furniture, and place interior items. It is planned that the retro electric train will run on popular tourist routes on the Gorky Railway and will also be used to transport organized groups to themed events, the press service of the Gorky Railway reported.