Why the 38th upper side is the best seat in a compartment carriage

Out of a great love for statistics, let's first turn to the numbers. Russian Railways is one of the world's largest transport complexes. There are more than 120 thousand km of operational railways in Russia. The passenger flow is amazing - about 1,2 billion people. These are the data for 2023. And just a year later, the figure increased by 11%.


Our fellow citizens love to travel in carriages. A significant part of them are summer residents with seedlings on suburban trains. Others, with a ruddy chicken in foil and boiled eggs, travel long distances.

Who knowingly buys tickets for a bad seat?

From the considerable number of "others" we will single out those who surprise the cashiers with a request to sell a ticket for the 38th upper side seat. A small group of people will gather.


You can line them all up, remember their faces and names. Give them a heartfelt speech about how great they are, choosing the right shelf. But they themselves know that they are smarter and more cunning than their fellow travelers.

The contingent of fans of the 38th is special. Every second one has a travel certificate in his pocket. And the first one has a backpack on his shoulders - an inveterate traveler. Both value a penny in their wallet. Thriftiness is not the worst quality. And you can save a lot on the "shameful" upper side near the toilet.


A reserved seat is generally cheaper than a compartment. Add to this discounts on unpopular seats. Also, the 38th often falls under various promotions: the final ticket price can be reduced by up to 30%. What's wrong with that? True, it's hard to understand the discount scheme that the railway workers use. But that's none of our business.

Advantages of the Upper Side

At the beginning of the carriage there is a landing platform, a hot water boiler for tea and "doshiks", a conductor's compartment, a toilet. There is always a bustle of people here, a big crush and fuss. Much worse than at the end. It will be quieter here.


If you paid for the last upper berth, it often turns out that the lower one is not occupied at all. The compartment opposite with numbers 33-36, by the way, is also half empty. People postpone their trips, book tickets six months in advance, just to avoid ending up "in Kamchatka".

And that's great: the number of snorers per square meter decreases. Accordingly, the chance of sleeping better than the poor souls who are trying to get to the center of the carriage increases.

Other benefits

Many passengers are put off by the proximity of the toilet. There is an advantage to this circumstance. At night, you don’t have to drag yourself through the entire carriage to relieve yourself, risking touching someone’s feet along the way. And in the morning, you are the first in line. At the same time, the pattern of your socks when you are resting remains a mystery to your neighbors.


However, the doors slam and the smell is annoying... When was that? The majority of trains have been modernized in recent years, equipped with vacuum systems. Doors are equipped with closers, and hermetic seals have long been invented.

Old-style carriages with unlubricated hinges and clanking doors are still around. But when there's a bang, it's not just the 38th sufferer who can hear it: the resonance is heard throughout all the panels.

And the ventilation holes are built into the ceiling just above the upper riders. So the flow of fresh air and coolness in the heat are guaranteed, while the drafts of the carriage passage will not touch.

The final arguments for 38

This shelf can be used to create a private area. A low "wall" fences off your personal space. In modern carriages, privacy is also created by a pleated curtain.


It's great that the socket for charging the phone is at hand for the owner of the unfortunate place. And finally, the main charm. You will never offend an old lady by refusing the request: "Shinok, let's change places." But without them, blessed old ladies with gray curls, not a single trip to by train.

Have a nice trip. Don't forget the golden-brown chicken and boiled eggs...