Business · Companies · 4 hrs ago
Russian Railways to charge up to 10% for ticket refunds from December
From 1 December 2026, Russian Railways will charge fees for refunds on long-distance train tickets bought from that date.
The fee will depend on how long remains before departure: it is 1% at least 45 days ahead, 3% at 30–44 days, and 5% at 10–29 days.
Returning a ticket nine days or less before departure will cost 10% of the fare.
Under an order by Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service, carriers can set a fee of up to 10%, and may choose not to charge one.
The service says the change aims to reduce mass refunds and artificial ticket shortages.
More than 25 million tickets were returned in 2025, and over half of those refunds were made five days or less before departure.
Carriers must report refund numbers, fee income and customer complaints to the service, which will monitor how the new system works.
Russian Railways will introduce a percentage-based fee for refunds of long-distance train tickets from December 1, 2026.
The fee will range from 1% to 10%, depending on how long before departure a ticket is returned.
The maximum 10% fee applies when a ticket is returned nine days or less before departure.
The new rules apply to tickets bought from December 1, according to V102.ru.
Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service says the change is intended to reduce mass refunds and an artificially created shortage of tickets.
- Who
- Russian Railways and other railway carriers will be able to charge a refund fee.
- What
- A fee of 1% to 10% will apply to refunds of eligible long-distance train tickets, depending on when they are returned.
- When
- From December 1, 2026.
- Where
- Russia.
- Why
- The Federal Antimonopoly Service says the mechanism aims to reduce mass refunds and artificially created ticket shortages.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service issued the order authorising carriers to set refund fees of up to 10%.
The new refund-fee rules are due to take effect.
- Start date
- December 1, 2026
- Earliest refund window
- 45 days or more before departure: 1% fee
- Mid refund window
- 30–44 days before departure: 3% fee
- Late refund window
- 10–29 days before departure: 5% fee
- Maximum fee
- 9 days or less before departure: 10%
- Refunds in 2025
- More than 25 million tickets were returned, according to carriers