According to a Friday message from the Moscow authorities, the deposit for the Troika transport card will rise to 150 rubles, as announced by the city’s Ministry of Transport on its Telegram channel. In addition, an unlocking fee of 198 rubles will apply to enable card use within Central Moscow.
The announcement stresses that these changes should not affect passengers who follow the established rules and procedures. The ministry also reminds travelers that the Troika card must be validated when entering and exiting Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) stations. If a passenger forgets to validate, the card may be blocked, and the individual would need to visit a railway ticket office to have it unblocked.
This year, Troika became usable on six suburban railway routes. For example, MCD users can save up to 75% on trips within the Moscow region by using the card. Some travelers, however, opt to travel without full card verification when leaving stations, purchasing a new Troika card each time, since the upfront cost of a new card can appear lower than the fare for a Moscow-to-suburb trip.
As a result, the security value associated with the Troika card has risen to 150 rubles. Additionally, the rules for using the card on the MCD have changed: the unlocking fee is now 198 rubles, effectively covering the cost of a ticket across six railway zones to complete an incomplete trip under current transport regulations.
Some background notes: a separate historical line mentions a prior sale of a five kopek coin valued at 70 million rubles. This item appears to be part of a broader, longstanding discussion around fare media in the region. [Source: Moscow Ministry of Transport]