Key Events in 2019
Non-refundable ticket sales
Tickets in FPC’s second-class sleeping carriages and carriages with seats can now be bought at non-refundable fares (first made available for trips on 20 January 2019 and beyond).
Long-term contract with JSC TVZ
On 14 February, during the third Russian Investment Forum, FPC and TVZ signed a long-term contract for rolling stock development, design, manufacturing, testing, and certification in 2019–2025. The agreement provides for the supply of more than 3,700 passenger carriages.
Single- and double-decker versions of existing carriage models as well as new models are produced under the contract.
Lost property service for items left on trains
Since March 2019, passengers travelling on FPC’s long-distance trains can benefit from its new single-window lost property service.
About 12,000 items left on long-distance trains have been recovered as at the end of December 2019.
Clothes, tablets, e-readers, mobile phones, watches, headphones, other accessories, chargers, documents and suitcases are the items most often left behind by passengers on trains. The most unusual items recovered by train staff include a rafting paddle, an iron, a sewing machine, a roll of photo wallpaper, a briefcase with sheet music, and a hearing aid.
First trips of upgraded open sleeping carriages
On 18 March, an upgraded third-class open sleeping carriage with a modernised interior started on its first journey in branded train No. 19 Rostov-on-Don—Moscow. On 19 March, it carried passengers from Moscow to Anapa as part of train No. 12.
In November, carriages of this type started running between Novorossiysk and Moscow in train No. 29/30.
Presentation of a long-distance second-class sleeping carriage of a new model range
A new long-distance second-class sleeping carriage designed as two coupled carriages was presented at Rizhsky station on 23 April.
Carriages of the new model range are fully equipped to provide comfortable travel experience to passengers. Fully sealed gangways provide for comfortable passage from one carriage to another. Thanks to the new layout solutions, the two-carriage unit has additional public areas.
The new chaperon service for unaccompanied minors offered on more trains
The Company has expanded the footprint of its new chaperon service for unaccompanied minors aged 10 to 16 (inclusive).
Minors can now travel chaperoned by the trainmaster and attendants on the Lastochka electric trains running between Yekaterinburg and Tyumen. Before, the service was available for minors aged 10 to 16 on the Lastochka trains travelling between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar and Adler, Krasnodar and Imeretinsky Resort as well as on the Nevsky Express higher-speed trains travelling between Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
The service was first launched in July 2018 on Nevsky Express higher-speed train No. 747/748 running between Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Unlimited free travel for the Great Patriotic War (WWII) veterans, including disabled veterans
In 2019, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory in the Second World War, an open-ended campaign was launched to offer free travel to the Great Patriotic War veterans, including disabled veterans, and persons attending the veterans.
As of 1 January 2020, these passengers can obtain free tickets for travel by sleeping carriages of any class, deluxe carriages and seating carriages in domestic trains of any category with no limit on the number of trips.
Memorandum of cooperation between FPC and SNCF
Representatives of the French national railway company SNCF came to Moscow on an official visit from 11 to 13 September. The main purpose of the event was to hold negotiations on current and future cooperation.
The delegation led by Rachel Picard, Managing Director of Voyages SNCF, met Petr Ivanov, FPC’s General Director. A memorandum of cooperation in passenger train operation was signed during the meeting.
French guests also observed routine service procedures carried out for Moscow–Paris and Moscow–Nice trains and participated in managing the departure of a Moscow–Nice train.
Two new night trains connecting Moscow and Tula
On 1 November, ahead of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Tula Kremlin, FPC launched two new night trains connecting Moscow with Tula and some other neighbouring towns in the Moscow, Kaluga and Tula Regions.
Presentation of a new modular open carriage at the Transport Week 2019
During the 13th International Forum “Transport of Russia”, FPC and TMH presented the first concept of a modular passenger carriage for long-distance trains.
The modular open carriage is one of the carriage concepts that can replace the traditional third-class open sleeping carriage. The main purpose of the planned change is to provide improved individual comfort and more personalised space to passengers.
The concept has kept traditional-layout berths convenient for large groups travelling together or senior passengers but also offers new berths for improved privacy. The concept was designed to keep the same traditional carriage dimensions as well as berth length and width.
Following the presentation, the life-size model of the open carriage with personalized spaces was installed at Kazansky station to test the concept with customers.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Federal Passenger Company
JSC Federal Passenger Company celebrated its tenth anniversary on 3 December 2019.
Over the ten years of its operation, the Company’s long-distance trains have transported over 1 billion passengers, which is one-seventh of the entire population of planet Earth.
In 2019, the Company transported 105.8 million passengers, up 3.7% from 2018. Passenger-kilometres totalled 93.6 billion, also an increase over 2018 (by 2.2%).
Launch of three new double-decker trains
In the new train schedule for 2019–2020, the route network of doubledecker trains has been expanded. In the new version, train No. 17/18 ”Karelia” with the Petrozavodsk — Moscow service, train No. 52/51 ”Sura” with the Penza — Moscow service, and train No. 737-741 ”Day Express” with the Bryansk — Moscow service began to run. Now JSC FPC it carries passengers in 16 pairs of double-decker trains on 12 routes.
