It's Christmas Eve on the train and after some unruly passengers leave, the train's conductors are in the mood for more holiday cheer. The conductors dress up and go carolling among the passengers, and recite traditional Russian poetry with children. One of the conductors loses her cheery mood, however, when she gets bad news from home. However, the closer she gets to the Siberian village where she was born, the more her mood improves. As she watches the wintery landscape roll by from the train's window, she recounts her memories of the area. When a locomotive doesn't arrive on time to take two carriages to North Korea, Chief Conductor Sergey fears that he will be held accountable for other people's mistakes. Will his holiday spirit evaporate as well? The train arrives at Vladivostok and passengers disembark, but the crew is only half-way through its round-trip journey.