Government Relations

In 2018, FPC continued its collaboration with federal and regional authorities to improve the quality and competitiveness of rail passenger services and to drive passenger traffic growth.

  • In the first half of 2018, the Company, working closely with the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Transport Directorate of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia (Transport Directorate) worked on the regulatory and organisational support for holding the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

Transporting fans by the Federal Passenger Company’s trains during the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The Company agreed a schedule of 734 additional trains with the Transport Directorate to provide free transport for the World Cup fans, and following the work carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport with the participation of FPC, on 29 May 2018, an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Belarus on certain issues related to the entry of foreign citizens and stateless persons to international sports competitions was signed. During the World Cup, the agreement provides for visa-free entry into the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus for the holders of spectator identity cards (fan passports or FAN IDs) or information about them provided they have an authentic ID.

a train

  • In 2018, following the interaction between FPC and the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia), the FAS Russia approved the Company’s proposals on price indexation of long-distance tariffs for third-class open sleeping and fourth-class seating carriages at the level of 3.9% from 1 January 2019 (Decree of FAS Russia No. 1443/18 dated 21 September 2018).
  • To provide a legal framework for rail passenger transportation, Federal Law No. 73-FZ On Amendments to Article 83 of the Federal Law on the Railway Transport Charter of the Russian Federation dated 18 April 2018 (on non-refundable tickets), and the following by-laws developed in its pursuance were adopted: Decree of the Russian Ministry of Transport No. 334 dated 18 September 2018 On Amendments to Passenger, Baggage, and Unaccompanied Baggage Rail Transport Rules approved by Decree of the Russian Ministry of Transport No. 473 dated 19 December 2013, and Resolution of the Russian Government No. 1678 On Amendments to Rules on Rail Transport Services for Passengers, Cargo, Baggage, and Unaccompanied Baggage for Personal, Family, Household and Other Needs not Related to Conducting Business dated 26 December 2018. The above regulations created the basis for the introduction of non-refundable tickets for railway transport from 1 January 2019.
  • At the regional level, the Company liaised with Russian regional authorities to improve the quality of services provided by assigning new trains, changing their schedule, developing railway tourism, and replacing the rolling stock.

In 2018, Petr Ivanov, FPC’s General Director, held a number of working meetings with the government officials of the Voronezh, Ulyanovsk, Astrakhan, Tambov, and Novosibirsk Regions, the Republics of Bashkortostan, North Ossetia–Alania, Udmurtia, and the Perm Territory.