Soviet Jet Train

⚡Soviet jet train, built in the 1970s...

The idea was simple: install aircraft engines on a railcar that could no longer be used in the air, but could still serve on the ground. According to the design, these engines were supposed to propel the train car.

To create the experimental jet train, engines used on the Yak-40 aircraft were chosen. It was decided to install them on a modified ER22 lead motor car with altered aerodynamics. In particular, fairings were added to the body of the car, under which the car’s wheels were tucked away.

The jet-powered car was built as a one-off and, for five years from 1971 to 1975, was used for running tests on a railway line as part of the ER200 project.

In 1972, the car reached a speed of 250 km/h on a section of the Prydniprovska Railway, which became a record for the Soviet railways.

- In 1975, after the ER200 was launched, the need for a high-speed car with jet engines disappeared and the project was shelved ...