Russian President Vladimir Putin's enigmatic "ghost train" has a luxurious interior, equipped with a gym, spa, and beauty services, according to documents that were leaked. Even though Putin's "ghost" train's existence was generally known, amenities like a hidden gym, Turkish bath, and beauty room were a surprise.

A deep dive into the “ghost train”

Stunning interior shots of the 22-car "ghost train" that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses to travel about his nation in luxury and secrecy have recently become available. A fully equipped gym, or "sports-health wagon," a skincare and massage parlor with "anti-aging machines," a tiled and fully equipped Turkish bath steam room, as well as plush bedrooms and elaborate dining cars, are among the amenities offered by the train.

Additionally, there is a cinema, a fleet of vehicles outfitted with communications equipment that enables Putin to be in touch with and informed about the outside world at all times, as well as an entire vehicle with a diesel power generator. The train is equipped with life-saving medical facilities and equipment, is strongly armored, and all of its doors and windows are bulletproof.

Who leaked the information?

Information regarding the train was released by the Dossier Centre, a London-based organization devoted to studying the inner workings of Russia and supported by exiled Russian oil magnate and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The Russian business Zircon Service, which the state-run railway company Russian Railways engaged to outfit a train for the president of Russia, is where The Dossier Centre claimed to have learned inside knowledge about the train. According to the Dossier Centre, the train cost the Russian people roughly $74 million to produce, and its annual maintenance costs about $15.8 million.

Putin has a long history of using trains extensively, and the Kremlin has even released photos of him holding state meetings in opulently decorated spaces. However, the Kremlin denied that Putin's train was the source of the pictures and information in the Dossier Center's findings. Russian officials claimed that "President Putin does not use or own such a car."

Had there been suspects about the train?

The existence of Putin's phantom train has long been suspected and verified by amateur train spotters in Russia. Hobbyists have frequently posted on blogs about sighting a train rushing through Russian rails that wasn't on any timetables or in any official databases for railways.

The distinctive white-dome-topped car that is always being pulled by that railway is thought to be housing the satellite nodes and antennae that keep Putin's complex communications system connected. Putin, according to insiders, prefers to travel by rail over by plane because of the security and concealment that being on the ground offers.

"The plane, as soon as it takes off, it immediately crosses flight radar," Gleb Karakulov, a former agent of the Federal Security Service, which is in charge of protecting the Russian president, told the Dossier Centre. "The train is used to conceal these movements in some way."

When was the train first commissioned?

The train supposedly received its first commission in 2014, and as the Russian invasion of Ukraine progressed in 2022, its use significantly increased. According to Karakulov, the train is operated by dozens of crew members, all of whom are waiting in quarantine to ensure that Putin doesn't get sick while travelling on it.