Those who travel often, most likely, have already come across such a classification: SV car, compartment, reserved seat and shared car. And if there is no confusion with the first three names, then the last option still raises questions and requires clarification, especially for people who do not travel outside the city very often.
What should you expect when a common car is suddenly offered to you at the box office? It looks like an ordinary car, which is part of trains (passenger) that do not follow long distances. There may be another option: the car is attached to long-distance trains, but already at the very end of the running train (due to frequent "transfer").
Tickets to a common Russian Railways carriage are always much cheaper, since a person will not be able to use the services that are provided in reserved seat cars, and even more so in compartments or SV, that is, the comfort here is minimal: only seating places, bed linen not issued. In addition, seat reservations are not provided (tickets do not even have their numbering).
Each common car, like the others, has toilets, office space, conductors' compartments, vestibules, corridors (large and small), a boiler room. There are 9 passenger compartments in the car, each compartment has six seats.
As a rule, second-class carriages are converted into common vehicles: instead of one person, there are three in the lower places. Therefore, you can sleep on the road only if there are no neighbors next to you.
The practice of such re-equipment began during perestroika in the USSR. Defective (or decommissioned) cars with problematic generators, poor lighting, lack of sockets (or lack of voltage in them), non-functioning toilets, problematic heating were repaired, modified and sent back to the railways.
Over time, new deliveries of wagons began, and such re-equipment has almost become obsolete. Although even now the common car is a former reserved seat, but already in a more decent and well-groomed condition, without technical malfunctions. However, the popular name "stable" has already become proverbial. Most likely, this name was attached to common cars due to the dismantling of part of the partitions, doors, luggage and upper shelves and part of the previously installed lamps. Such a redevelopment to some extent really resembles a stable, albeit a rather decent one.
Shared carriages are now rare, mainly in suburban trains with a total travel time of up to 6 hours. The seating car can bereferred to the category of general, interregional cars. There are sofas (either armchairs or smooth, not wooden benches) separated by tables. Along the cabin - large shelves for luggage. There are two toilet rooms, a boiler and a conductor's seat (compartment) in the carriage.
The layout of the seated car is identical to that of other types of cars. The chair is equipped with a spacious pocket (located at the back) and a table (folding) with a small recess for cups. Armchairs of a similar design are found in tourist buses.
