Даже если поезд опоздает, я всё равно приду на встречу.

Если by itself means if.
Даже если means even if.

The word даже adds emphasis: it shows that the result in the main clause will stay true in a situation that might normally prevent it.

So:

• Если поезд опоздает... = If the train is late...
• Даже если поезд опоздает... = Even if the train is late...

Опоздает is the 3rd person singular future form of опоздать (to be late / to arrive late).

It agrees with поезд (train), which is singular:

• поезд опоздает = the train will be late

Russian often uses the future in if-clauses when talking about a real future possibility. That is normal and natural.

This is a very common question for English speakers.

In English, after if, we usually do not use will for a normal future condition:

• If the train is late, I’ll come anyway.

In Russian, however, using the future here is completely normal:

• Если поезд опоздает...

So the tense patterns do not match word-for-word between English and Russian.
A good rule is:

• English: if + present, then future in the main clause
• Russian: если + future is often perfectly normal for future meaning

The verb опоздать is perfective, and here that makes sense because the sentence refers to a single completed event in the future: the train ends up being late.

Russian aspect is not exactly the same as English tense. Here, perfective future often means something like will happen / will turn out to happen once.

Compare:

• опаздывать = imperfective, more about being habitually late or the process/pattern
• опоздать = perfective, one concrete case of being late

In this sentence, we are talking about one particular future train journey, so опоздает is the natural choice.

Всё равно means anyway, all the same, or regardless.

It emphasizes that the speaker’s decision will not change:

• я всё равно приду = I’ll come anyway

This phrase is extremely common in Russian. It often shows that some obstacle or condition does not matter.

Examples:

• Он всё равно ушёл. = He left anyway.
• Я всё равно попробую. = I’ll try anyway.

Приду is the 1st person singular future of прийти (to come / to arrive).

So:

• я приду = I will come

This form can look surprising because it is irregular. Learners often expect something more predictable, but приду is the standard form.

A few useful forms:

• я приду
• ты придёшь
• он/она придёт
• мы придём
• вы придёте
• они придут

Because after verbs of motion like приду (I will come), Russian usually uses на + accusative to show destination.

So:

• на встречу = to the meeting (destination)
• на встрече = at the meeting (location)

Compare:

• Я приду на встречу. = I will come to the meeting.
• Я буду на встрече. = I will be at the meeting.

This is a very important motion-vs-location pattern in Russian.

Because встреча is a feminine noun, and after на with movement, it goes into the accusative case.

For many feminine nouns ending in -а, the accusative singular changes to -у:

• встреча → встречу
• школа → школу
• работа → работу

So:

• на встречу = accusative, because it shows motion toward the meeting

Russian puts a comma between the subordinate if-clause and the main clause.

So:

• Даже если поезд опоздает, я всё равно приду на встречу.

The part Даже если поезд опоздает is the subordinate clause, and я всё равно приду на встречу is the main clause.

This comma is required in standard Russian punctuation.

Yes. Russian word order is flexible, although some versions sound more natural than others depending on emphasis.

For example, you could also say:

• Я всё равно приду на встречу, даже если поезд опоздает.

This has the same basic meaning.

You can also move всё равно for emphasis, though the original position is very natural:

• Я приду на встречу всё равно... — possible, but less neutral in tone

The original sentence is a very standard, natural way to say it.

Yes. Поезд is the subject of опоздает.

It is in the nominative case, because it is the thing doing the action/state:

• поезд опоздает = the train will be late

This is a straightforward subject-verb relationship.

You could, but it changes the nuance.

• Если поезд опоздает = if the train is late / ends up arriving late
• Если поезд будет опаздывать = if the train is going to be running late / will be in the process of being late

The original sentence sounds more natural for a simple real-life condition about a specific train.
The version with будет опаздывать is more about an ongoing situation or process, and is less likely here unless you specifically want that nuance.

It can feel like either, depending on the English translation.

Russian прийти / приду often combines the ideas of:

• come
• arrive

So я приду на встречу can be understood as:

• I’ll come to the meeting
• I’ll arrive at the meeting

In this sentence, come to the meeting is usually the most natural English translation, but the idea of arrival is still built into the Russian verb.