Explosion Derails Moscow-St Petersburg (Russia) Train
 

There was an explosion on the passenger train tracks north of Moscow on Monday night, 9:38 PM Moscow time, on a train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Apparently it was caused by a bomb; 60 injured (out of approximately 240 aboard). I haven't seen which train number was affected, but it might be train #160 or #164 (the fast non-overnight train).

Right now there are massive delays on the line (at least 6 hours) as trains need to be diverted from the damaged track.

Should you be scheduled to take the train in the next few days, verify with your travel agent or place of ticket purchase the schedule.

In my recollection this would be the first terrorist incident to affect the Moscow-St. Petersburg run; other attacks have occured in southern Russia.

It was the Nevski Express and occured near Novgorod. For more information see: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/storie...08/15/001.html

How awful!

But it's the first one since June 2005, obviosly, they are working on safety of the trains there.

This is dreadful! The only good thing is that no one was killed.

BTW, I haven't tracked Russian affairs much since the breakup in 1989, therefore my questions: who are the "ultranationalists"? Are they the same as the "right wing extremists"?

According to CNN, Chechens are to blame. Remember the school killings in Southern Russia and theater in Moscow?

from CNN:
"Chechnya's separatist rebels have been weakened by the killing of many of their field commanders. They have not carried out any major attacks outside the North Caucasus for at least a year.

But insurgent groups from neighbouring Russian regions -- most of them Islamist militants -- have been increasingly active, ambushing police patrols and bombing army bases"