International Engagement

International Services

Since 2021, international passenger rail services have begun recovering as the epidemiological condition in the Russian Federation gradually returns to normal. At the beginning of 2022, connections with the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Belarus were restored in a phased manner.

In 2022, passenger rail services to Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, were resumed as well.

A total of 3,089,682 people were carried between countries, up 176.5% against the 2021 traffic.

In 2022, FPC concentrated on expanding international railway tourism in addition to reestablishing international passenger traffic. For instance, starting in August 2022, a tourist train has been running to/from the Republic of Belarus in addition to the regular summertime trips to/from the Republic of Abkhazia. A joint international project of FPC and Belorussian Railways, the Belorussian Voyage train, is the first tourist train from Russia to Belarus and travels the Moscow — Grodno/Brest — Minsk — Moscow route.

The journey is structured in a “hotel on wheels” way: passengers have the chance to see remarkable architectural masterpieces and landmarks of Belarusian culture during the day, and at night they can chill out in the compartment of the train while it moves between locations.

In 2022, almost 2,000 people enjoyed this tourist route.

Cooperation within International Organisations

The cooperation between FPC and overseas partners in 2022 was concentrated on routine activities to coordinate the scheduled service of international trains on the territory of the Russian Federation and other nations.

It should be noted that FPC’s participation in international organisations like the International Union of Railways, the International Rail Transport Committee, and the European Route Management Forum has been suspended since March 2022 because of the hostile policy of European states towards the Russian Federation. The management of the above-mentioned organisations made the decisions in this area unilaterally.

On the platforms of the Railway Cooperation Organisation and the Railway Transport Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States, FPC’s experts continue to discuss the most crucial issues of international passenger service that have an impact on the Company’s production and business operations, as well as issues related to the legal regulation of such service.