Key Events in 2018
Poputchik (Fellow Passenger) multimedia portal
In 2018, FPC continued to develop its Poputchik (Fellow Passenger) multimedia portal service offered on the Company’s branded trains. The portal’s standard services include:
- an interactive map of the journey’s route with details of tourist attractions located both along it and generally across Russia
- the train schedule
- train-related information
- on-board store
- on-board restaurant (delivery service)
- on-board feedback feature
- news and games
- Luchshe Poezdom (Better by Train) magazine
- educational films produced by the Russian Geographical Society.
Value-added services are offered to passengers in deluxe, first- and second-class sleeping carriages: on-board movies, audiobooks, press, books, music streaming, and internet access (provided there is coverage from any available mobile data network).
The Luchshe Poezdom (Better by Train) and Volshebnoye Puteshestviye (Magical Journey) on-board magazines
Since 2018, the Company’s passenger communications include an on-board monthly titled Luchshe Poezdom (Better by Train). The publication features stories about comfortable and exciting rail journeys and about Russian cities’ tourist attractions and cultural traditions. The magazine’s circulation exceeds 70,000 copies. It is distributed in branded trains, trains with seating accommodation, and international trains.
Children travelling first and second class in sleeping carriages are offered an entertainment magazine titled Volshebnoye Puteshestviye (Magical Journey).
Developing RZD Holding’s RZD Bonus Loyalty Programme
On 6 June 2018, FPC and Sberbank signed a cooperation and collaboration agreement. The agreement formalises the Parties’ intentions to establish a partnership between the Spasibo from Sberbank and RZD Bonus loyalty programmes with points made transferable between the two. The two companies are also considering cooperation in yet another area – running joint socially significant projects, such as offering rail fare discounts to holders of Sberbank’s Social Debit and Youth Debit cards. Holders of Youth Debit cards will enjoy a 25% fare discount, whereas the discount to be offered to Social Debit card holders will be determined later.
The RZD Bonus Programme has also partnered with Raiffeisenbank. As from June 2018, all Raiffeisenbank customers may exchange their points earned under the #vsesrazu (all-at-once) loyalty programme for RZD Bonus Programme points and use them to buy tickets for FPC long-distance trains, as well as Sapsan and Allegro trains.
Enhancing new services
As from July 2018, FPC offers a new service: pet owners may have their pets carried in long-distance trains’ baggage compartments unaccompanied. In November 2018, the routes covered by the service were expanded, and pets can now travel on 277 trains travelling across Russia.
In July 2018, the Company launched the Business Pass service for Strizh higher-speed trains running between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. The service targets frequent travellers, offering a number of benefits: paying a fixed fare, travelling by any class available under the customer’s fare plan, and cancelling tickets without additional service charges.
In October 2018, the FPC Market service was made available to our passengers, functioning as an online store. It offers a selection of gifts, personal hygiene products, snacks, and confectionery. Once a customer has purchased a train ticket, the online store’s products can be ordered and paid for in the My Orders section on the Russian Railways website. The purchased items are then delivered to the traveller by a train attendant.
Guide: how to buy train tickets on the Russian Railways website
Social educational projects
The Geographical Dictation
In 2018, the Geographical Dictation held by the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) took place on FPC trains for the second year running.
The dictation was conducted on Strizh higher-speed trains No. 703 from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow, No. 704 from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, and No. 13 from Moscow to Berlin. A total 95 passengers took part in the event, testing their knowledge of geography and demonstrating their map interpretation skills.
The RGS “Golden Fund” – a joint project between the Russian Geographical Society and FPC
Federal Passenger Company’s cooperation with the Russian Geographical Society goes back several years, with a number of science popularisation projects successfully implemented since the partnership started.
As part of the RGS “Golden Fund” project, passengers of the Rossiya branded train No. 1/2 operated on the Moscow–Vladivostok route which set off from Yaroslavsky railway station on 15 November 2018 had the opportunity to enjoy decorative design exhibition selected items from the RGS “Golden Fund” collection. The design featured reproductions of original historical documents, rare books, maps, and highly valuable exquisite items from the 15th to 20th centuries.
The Traveller’s Library
In 2018, the Traveller’s Library, FPC’s non-profit cultural and educational project, was continued on both international and domestic trains. The project offers passengers classics by Russian and international authors, in Russian and in foreign languages, for any age group.
The Traveller’s Library service is currently available on 17 domestic and international trains.
FPC presented a model of an upgraded third-class open sleeping carriage at the Transport of Russia international forum
At the Transport of Russia 2018 international forum, FPC presented a full-size model of a section of an upgraded third-class sleeping carriage by Vagonremmash.
The carriage’s design features a new interior space solution, the main advantage of which is an option of getting personal space through partitions with built-in access ladders and personal screens which give privacy to every traveller.
The upgraded carriage has wide, long sofas with headrests, individual lights, power sockets, USB ports, and special storage compartments for personal items at the head of each berth. Tables are made of non-flammable plastic and feature built-in wireless chargers. Upper-berth travellers now have an extra table.
Wish List Carriage marketing campaign
On 26 and 27 December 2018, the New Year marketing campaign Wish List Carriage was run on branded train No. 015, Ural Premium, en route from Yekaterinburg to Moscow. As passengers were boarding the train, they were given wish list forms and asked to specify the gifts they would like to receive on the New Year’s Eve. While the train was travelling, FPC employees who acted as “helpers” for Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden fetched the requested gifts and brought them to the train at an intermediate stop. Then Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden went through the train, handing out the gifts requested by the travellers, along with some sweet extras.