What will change in Russian Railways for passengers in 2026: ticket prices and new rules for children

Starting in 2026, several changes will come into force for passengers of Russian railways: fares for tickets and services will increase, biometrics will be available on certain routes, and the rules for arranging trips abroad will change for children. The innovations will affect both domestic and international areas and will be introduced in stages. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Russian Railways tariffs in 2026: indexation and seasonal changes

In 2026, the cost of tickets in reserved and shared carriages of long-distance trains has increased. In accordance with the government's decree, starting from December 1, 2025, tariffs were indexed by 11.4%.

In addition, Russian Railways has approved seasonal coefficients for transportation on long-distance trains. The largest increase in tariffs is expected in the period from May to mid—September - from 11 to 20%. The index will decrease by 15% on January 12-19, as well as between November 5 and December 24, 2026.

The company explained that during periods of low passenger demand, for example, after the New Year holidays, ticket prices decrease. At the same time, during holidays and school holidays, fares may increase due to seasonal demand growth, which is typical for the entire transport industry.

Russian Railways also noted that ticket prices vary significantly throughout the year and directly depend on the date of the trip — even a one-day difference can significantly affect the fare.

In addition, since January 1, the cost of a number of services in high-comfort cars has increased, including bed linen, blankets, printed products and travel kit.

In compartment cars of service classes 2F and 2X, the cost of a full range of services in 2026 will amount to 805 rubles, in cars with seating for classes 1P and 1J — 1244 rubles. In the class 1A suite (Imperial coupe), the price will reach 43 thousand rubles.

Ruble frontier: for violations at railway crossings, they propose to fine cameras

Will this help improve traffic safety

Biometrics on Russian Railways trains: where and how you can board without a passport

In the first quarter of 2026, Russian Railways plans to launch the possibility of boarding trains using biometrics. The service will operate on Lastochka trains from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Kostroma.

"It is expected that the service will become available for testing by passengers on the same routes in the first quarter of 2026, after the focus group summarizes the test results," Russian Railways said.

To use the service, the passenger will need a verified biometrics. It can be registered in banks connected to the Unified Biometric System, or through on-site registration of authorized operators. Before using the service, you must also give consent to the processing of personal data.

Russian Railways emphasized that the use of biometrics is voluntary: passengers have the right to choose their own way of boarding the train.

Documents for children when traveling abroad: changes from 2026

Starting from January 20, 2026, tickets for railway flights to foreign countries for children under the age of 14 cannot be issued with a birth certificate — a foreign passport will be required for purchase.

"Starting from January 20, 2026, the birth certificate for minor citizens of the Russian Federation under the age of 14 is excluded from the list of basic identity documents of a citizen of the Russian Federation when leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation," the Russian Railways website says.

Children who left Russia before the new rules came into force and issued a trip using a birth certificate will be able to use this document when returning to the country after the specified date.

The new requirements apply, among other things, to long-distance rail trips to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Abkhazia and other countries. At the same time, the sale of tickets for international destinations, as before, opens 90 days before the departure of the train. So, tickets for flights to Belarus with a departure date of January 20 went on sale on October 23.

For trips within Russia, the procedure for issuing tickets for children does not change — they can still be purchased using a birth certificate.

Russian Railways also reminded that when buying tickets at discounted rates and boarding the train, it is necessary to confirm that the child has Russian citizenship. A birth certificate with a stamp of citizenship or a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation is accepted as confirmation for children over 14 years old.