"Aurora" in passenger service

On 19 December 2024, the renewed "Aurora" express, which runs between Moskva and St. Peterburg, started regular service. The RZD's new EP2K-500 and 501 locomotives manufactured at Kolomensky zavod (KZ) are diagrammed for it. These six-axle 3 kV DC locomotives for the first regular run of "Aurora" were prepared at St. Peterburg depot of LokoTekh-Servis and passed TO-2 inspection, when the serviceability of the main components and equipment is checked.

The locomotives for "Aurora" will pass TO-2 after every 96 hours of working. In addition to St. Peterburg, the depot in Moskva is also prepared for this activity. LokoTech said that „in the future it is planned to carry out inspections with special care, as the train speed is 160 km/h, which places high demands on service maintenance.“