In the Russian Federation, starting on December 1, 2023, rail tariffs for passenger travel with reserved seats and for general transport inside the country are set to be indexed. This follows the explanatory note attached to a draft order from the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) that appeared in a 2017 regulatory drafts portal note. In the note, it is stated that as of that date, domestic passenger transportation on public rail lines, including second-class and general services, would see adjustments through additional work charges and fees tied to the mileage itself. The movement of passenger cars, baggage, and freight on long-distance trains carried an indexation of 10.75 percent.
At the same time, service tariffs for railway infrastructure in suburban routes are projected to rise by 7.6 percent, while long-distance routes are expected to increase by 12.8 percent.
The document also indicates that starting December 1, 2023, the tariff for freight transport over the railway network will be indexed by 7.6 percent.
Additionally, the plan calls for extending the removal of the coal discount factor on rail shipments through the end of 2024.
The draft order further notes that an extra targeted tariff increase of 2 percent will apply from December 1 of this year through December 31 of the following year to account for infrastructure overhaul. There is also a proposed 1 percent tariff rise as of December 1 in order to support transportation security.
Prior to these proposals, it was known that JSC Russian Railways (RZD) continued the sale of tickets for all long-distance trains 90 days before departure.
In a separate event, an incident involved a Moscow region worker photographed on a train, described as a girl wearing headphones, which was captured on video.