Russian Railways allowed to carry animals without buying out the whole compartment

Russian Railways has updated the rules of transportation of animals in long-distance trains from January 2025. This was announced on Wednesday, January 1, by Deputy General Director of the Federal Passenger Company (FPC, a subsidiary of Russian Railways) Stanislav Zotin.

Passengers of FPC trains can carry pets in the compartment of increased comfort without buying out all four seats in the compartment. The update applies only to small animals that travel in transportation, Zotin clarified "RIA Novosti".

Since this year, if a passenger buys out an entire compartment for the transportation of a large dog, he needs to issue a free ticket for it. Previously, this was not required. Also, now when buying out a compartment, up to four large dogs or animal carriers can be transported, regardless of the number of occupied seats.

In June this year, Russian Railways made a number of changes to the animal transportation system after the death of Twix the cat as a result of being dropped off by the conductor. Now, when buying a ticket, it is necessary to specify the exact type of animal from the authorized list. In turn, conductors and train managers will be aware of the presence of animals in carriages.

Conductors were obliged to look for the owners of lost animals. If the owner is not found, the animal will be handed over to the station staff at the nearest station where an appropriate reception is provided.