Russian rail ticket refund fee to range from 1% to 10% of price from December 1
In short
From December 1, 2026, the fee for returning a long-distance train ticket in Russia will follow a sliding scale of 1% to 10% of the ticket price, depending on how much time remains before departure, Vedomosti reported, citing the passenger company Sakhalin. Through November 30 the fee stays at 3.70 rubles. Data cited from carriers show more than 25 million rail tickets were returned in 2025, with only 5.9 million seats resold.
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From December 1, 2026, long-distance train tickets in Russia will be subject to a sliding refund fee based on how much time remains before departure, Vedomosti reported, citing the passenger company Sakhalin. Under the scale described, the carrier may keep 1% of the ticket price when a ticket is returned 45 days or more before departure, 3% for 30 to 44 days, 5% for 10 to 29 days and 10% for nine days or fewer. Service fees and charges for bed linen are not counted when the fee is calculated. [ 1 ]
Through November 30 inclusive, the existing fee of 3.70 rubles remains in place, according to Vedomosti. [ 1 ]
Vedomosti reported that in July the Federal Antimonopoly Service proposed allowing rail carriers to set their own refund fee for unused tickets at up to 10% of ticket value. The service recalled that the fee had been reduced to a minimum during the coronavirus pandemic and that returns had since grown more than threefold compared with the pre-pandemic period. Carriers' data cited by Vedomosti show that more than 25 million rail tickets were returned in 2025, with only 5.9 million seats sold again and about 9 million left unclaimed. vc.ru reported that the carrier is taking the step against the increased number of ticket returns. [ 1 , 4 ]
Habr News and vc.ru both said Russian Railways announced the change, under which the fee will run from 1% to 10% of ticket value from December 1, 2026. Vedomosti, which gave the percentage brackets in detail, said the rules were described on the site of the passenger company Sakhalin. The documents do not resolve which body set the specific scale, or whether all carriers will apply the same one. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The change shifts part of the cost of cancelled trips onto passengers and gives rail carriers more room to set refund terms, after the antitrust service proposed letting them charge up to 10% of ticket value. For travellers, returning a ticket close to departure becomes substantially more expensive than the current flat fee.
Key facts
- From December 1, 2026, the refund fee for long-distance rail tickets will be 1% of the ticket price if returned 45 days or more before departure, 3% for 30 to 44 days, 5% for 10 to 29 days and 10% for nine days or fewer, according to Vedomosti, citing the passenger company Sakhalin. [ 1 ]
- The calculation excludes the cost of service fees and charges for bed linen. [ 1 ]
- Through November 30 inclusive, the refund fee remains unchanged at 3.70 rubles. [ 1 ]
- In July, the Federal Antimonopoly Service proposed allowing rail carriers to set their own refund fee, at up to 10% of ticket value. [ 1 ]
- The service noted that the refund fee had been cut to a minimum during the coronavirus pandemic, and returns had since grown more than threefold compared with the pre-pandemic period. [ 1 ]
- Carriers' data cited by Vedomosti put returns in 2025 at more than 25 million rail tickets, of which only 5.9 million seats were resold and about 9 million seats remained unclaimed. [ 1 ]
- vc.ru reported that the carrier is using the measure to counter the increased number of ticket returns. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- From December 1, 2026, the fee for returning a rail ticket will range from 1% to 10% of its price, depending on how long remains before departure. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Russian Railways announced the change, according to Habr News and vc.ru, and Vedomosti reported the details as set out on the passenger company Sakhalin's site. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Which carrier set the specific percentages of the scale. Vedomosti says the rules were described on the site of the passenger company Sakhalin, while Habr News and vc.ru attribute the announcement to Russian Railways; the documents do not resolve which body set the scale.
- Whether every rail carrier will apply the same scale, or whether companies may set their own fees up to 10%. Vedomosti reports the July proposal from the Federal Antimonopoly Service to let carriers set their own fee at up to 10%, but the documents do not state whether the announced scale is uniform across carriers.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Vedomosti publishes the details of the new refund scale and its background, citing the passenger company Sakhalin and the Federal Antimonopoly Service's July proposal. [ 1 ]
- Habr News reports, citing Russian Railways, that the refund fee will range from 1% to 10% of ticket value from December 1, 2026. [ 3 ]
- vc.ru reports the same change and says the carrier is acting against the increased number of ticket returns. [ 4 ]