The dynamic pricing system covers 95% of JSC FPC's transportation in compartment, SV, luxury wagons, wagons with seats for high-speed trains within the country.
Using the capabilities of the system, passengers can significantly save on fares.
All cars included in the program are marked with a sign in the ticket sales on the website.
Basic principles of the system:
The basic principle of the system is as follows: the higher the demand and the fewer seats, the higher the price on tickets.
The fare depends not only on the distance and popularity of the route, but also on factors such as:
- train category;
- time of year, day of the week, time of departure, arrival, etc .;
- the number of offered seats on the train;
- date of purchase of the ticket (number of days before train departure).
How often does the tariff change?
The system analyzes hundreds of different factors in real time and, depending on the data received, periodically recalculates the cost of travel along the entire route. As a result, the ticket price can change within an hour or even a few minutes.
For each direction, train and section of the route, a different pricing policy is applied.
How does the tariff change on the main route and inland sections of the train?
As the train fills up and approaches the departure date, tariffs on the main route may change both up and down. But this situation is rare!
In the vast majority of cases, the fewer days left before departure, the higher the ticket price.
At the same time, it is possible that on certain sections of the train route, the cost of transportation may be higher or equal to the main route.
How to save on buying a ticket?
The main factor affecting the cost of tickets is the demand for them, therefore, in order to save a trip, it is important to take into account a certain set of patterns that will most likely save on a trip:
| Factor 1: discounts depending on the location of the seats in the car The system applies differentiated discounts depending on the location of the seats in the car. For example, in a compartment car, the upper seats are in less demand than the lower ones, which leads to the establishment of a differentiated discount on the upper shelf. |
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| Factor 2: time of departure / arrival In some cases, the cost of tickets depends not only on the time of year and day of the week, but also on the time of day. Typically, the cost of tickets for trains leaving around 4-5 am are significantly lower than tickets for trains with a later departure time. Thus, if the time frame for the passenger is not strict, then the ticket prices, in this case, will be lower. |
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| Factor 3: day of the week It should be noted that demand monitoring is also carried out taking into account the days of the week. For example, most passengers plan their travel on Fridays and, after spending a weekend in a city, return on Sunday evening. Consequently, there will be a limited number of tickets for low-fare trains on Friday nights there and Sunday nights back. |
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Factor 4: seasonality |
the coupe is shrinking. Taking into account the time savings, air travel becomes much more profitable than rail travel.
This is the conclusion reached by the online travel agency Biletix, comparing the prices of air and train tickets for the most popular domestic Russian destinations. The difference in the cost of air and railway tickets in the direction of Moscow - St. Petersburg is 83 rubles, Moscow - Krasnodar - 127 rubles. For a choice in the direction Moscow - Mineralnye Vody costing 5199 rubles, the passenger will have to overpay only 508 rubles, while the time savings will exceed a whole day.
Some long-distance routes are much lower than train tickets. An air ticket Moscow - Vladivostok costing 12,050 rubles is 4421 rubles less than a railway ticket costing 16,471 rubles, while saving more than 6 days of time. The cost of an air ticket from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk costing 10409 rubles is 84 rubles lower than a railway ticket.
Below are the prices presented in the online travel agency Biletix, for air and taking into account all commissions and fees for the most popular Russian destinations.
| Direction | Min. airfare (rub) / Travel time | Min. cost of a train ticket for a compartment (rub) / Travel time | The difference between the prices of an air ticket and a railway compartment | Difference in time |
| Moscow, Saint Petersburg | 3,575 RUB / 1 hour 50 min. | 3 492 p. / 8 h. | 83 p. | 6 hours 10 minutes |
| Moscow - Krasnodar | 5 326 p. / 2 h. 5 min. | 5 199 p. / 32h 34m | 127 p. | 29 hours 55 minutes |
| Moscow - Mineralnye Vody | 5 707 p. / 2 h 15 min | 5 199 p. / 30h 17m. | 508 p. | 27 hours 45 minutes |
| Moscow - Novosibirsk | RUB 9,411 / 4 h 5 min | 8 799 p. / 56h 02m | 612 p. | 51 hours 57 minutes |
| Moscow - Kazan | 4 401 rub. / 1 h 25 min | 1 919 p. / 13h 18m | 2482 p. | 11 hours 35 minutes |
| Moscow - Yekaterinburg | RUB 7,907 / 2 h 15 min | 5 199 r / 26h 47m | 2 708 p. | 24 hours 32 minutes |
| Moscow - Anapa | RUB 12,990 / 2 h 10 min | 4 776 p. / 35h 52m | 8,212 p. | 32 hours 50 minutes |
| Moscow - Irkutsk | RUB 22,978 / 9 h 40 min | 12 258 r / 87h 44m | 10 720 RUB | 77 hours 20 minutes |
| Moscow - Krasnoyarsk | RUB 10,325 / 4 h 30 min | 10 409 r / 62h 17m | -84 p. | 57 hours 30 minutes |
| Moscow - Vladivostok | RUB 12,050 / 8 h 45 min | 16 471 p. / 162h 10m | -4 421 RUB | 153 hours 25 minutes |
“The volume of passenger air traffic is growing every year and in 2012, according to preliminary data from the Federal Air Transport Agency, exceeded 70 million people. A significant growth in the market for passenger air transportation is taking place, among other things, due to the refusal of a part of the population from using in favor of air. If the current situation in the pricing of air and rail passenger transportation continues, this trend will only develop, ”said Biletix CEO Alexander Sizintsev.
* All prices are as of July 24, 2013 for a one-way ticket for one adult passenger departing on August 1 with all taxes and fees.
In Moscow, a picket took place near the head office of Russian Railways, the participants of which demanded a reduction in tariffs for travel on trains.
This is not the first such action. The pricing policy of Russian railways has long been puzzling. Despite the fact that, according to the estimates of the same JSC, the wear and tear of the passenger car fleet reaches at least 60%, the state of track and station facilities is not much better, the current level of comfort is, according to available estimates, only a third of the total number of fast and passenger trains, ticket prices grow uncontrollably. In 2010, they increased by 15-35%!
In a word, the railways are actively shifting their growing costs, including the low quality of carriages and the trips themselves, onto the shoulders of consumers-passengers. That is why, in fact, in Russia the most expensive train tickets. At the same time, the administration of Russian Railways now and then recommends the government to raise ticket prices.
As for the highest category of trips - in the "Lux" or SV class - these compartments, due to the shortage of such wagons, are often "transformed" from ordinary compartment wagons. Namely: the 4-seater compartment is divided in two and turns into a two-seater. In such an uncomplicated way, the coupe is assigned the "Lux" or CB class. But the minimum cost of a ticket of this class rises sharply, becoming the maximum in the world. So, in terms of the current rate, a compartment ticket from Moscow to Vologda (500 km) on a fast train can be bought today for almost 70 euros. Although the price of a ticket of a similar class Milan-Rome (600 km) is ... 25 euros, Berlin - Vienna (520 km) - 47 euros, Kiev - Lviv (505 km) - 25 euros, Minsk-Gomel (Belarus, about 300 km) - no more than 15 euros, and Tbilisi - Batumi (Georgia, 400 km) - generally 13 euros ...
Of course, the constant rise in ticket prices contributes to the greater isolation of Russian cities and regions from each other. That is, the pricing policy of railways in today's Russia, in the final analysis, actually aggravates the already significant socio-economic disparities between the subjects of the Federation.
Especially for the Centenary
Since the beginning of October, a question has already appeared to Russian Railways: Why have railway tickets increased in price since the beginning of 2019 for reserved seats and common seats on trains?
Such a rise in price, by almost 4% (3.9%), was approved by the Russian FAS on October 1, 2018. The new prices for railway tickets will take effect from 01.01.2019.
How much and why railway tickets have risen in price
Oleg Belozerov, the chairman of the board of JSC Russian Railways himself, motivates the increase by the need to renew the fleet of trains and wagons. As usual with us, such an update will fall on the shoulders of ordinary passengers. After all, unfinished Russian bourgeoisie do not travel on reserved seat and shared carriages.
Such an unfortunate event for millions of Russians was preceded by a meeting between the head of Russian Railways and the President of the Russian Federation on October 1, 2018, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the holding.
What can you say: high level - high prices!
Immediately after the meeting, a message was issued by the press service of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) approving the request of the Russian Railways holding to increase the cost of travel in reserved seat and shared carriages by 3.9%.
Why did the railway tickets rise in price in Russia?
The increase in prices for railway tickets looks like a presidential gift, on the one hand, and on the other, as a permission from the country's high leadership. This conclusion was made not only by the editorial board, but also by numerous netizens. For example, under the message on otzov-mf.ru there are many disapproving comments about Russian Railways. The same unflattering reviews were published on Rambler under the article on the rise in the price of train tickets.
This is an understandable reaction of passengers to the increase in railway prices. OZhD service leaves much to be desired. there are many complaints about him. Due to the high cost of train tickets, we switched to buses and passing cars, if the distance is more than 1000 kilometers. In addition, all the expenses of Russian Railways are borne by ordinary citizens of the country.
In this case, we only found a couple of recommendations. Book your train tickets earlier. Buying in advance will help you save money. In addition, you can use the search service and find a cheaper train ticket. Search options for cheap tickets: the Russian Railways website, the Tutu ru service and the OneTwoTrip.com company.
The ticket price depends on many conditions:
- car category (reserved seat or compartment);
- train brand (availability of additional services - bed linen included in the price of meals, Wi-Fi on the train, etc.);
- route distance;
- the season or time of day of the train departure;
- demand (when and for which train you buy a ticket).
Why is the ticket price changing so quickly?
According to the rules of Russian Railways, tickets do not have a constant price, it is constantly recalculated. Russian Railways has two main programs responsible for the formation of the ticket price:
1) Dynamic pricing
The ticket price for this program depends on several factors: the time of departure (season and day of the week), the time remaining before departure, demand and the number of seats sold. Dynamic pricing applies to trains of the state carrier FPC JSC: coupe, luxury, SV, seated cars of high-speed trains (Lastochki, Allegro, Strizha, Nevsky Express). It does not work on reserved seats. You can find out which carrier you have when buying a ticket at the “Select seats” step or by clicking on “train information” when searching for a route.
Sapsans have a similar program of Russian Railways - the dynamic tariff management and demand stimulation system (DUTISS).
On holidays (May, New Years, etc.) and peak periods (for example, on Friday evenings) the price can be significantly higher than on weekdays. If demand turns out to be small, then the price will remain low.
2) Seasonal odds
The cost of tickets for this program is calculated at a coefficient that changes depending on the season. Basically, seasonal factors apply to reserved seats and seated carriages of low-speed trains. The list of coefficients for the entire next year becomes available at the end of the current one. It is provided by the carrier FPC JSC.
Usually travel is cheaper at the beginning of the year (January to mid-February), in March-April, in October and from early November to mid-December. And on holidays and in summer tickets are 10-20% more expensive
In addition to the main ones, the carrier FPC JSC has several additional programs to stimulate demand. For example, plan ahead! Unlike dynamic pricing, Plan ahead! depends only on the number of days before the departure of the train. Routes with this fare are usually affected by seasonal factors. Tariff discounts can be up to 40%. The tariff is applied mainly on trains departing abroad on certain dates.
Who is responsible for price fluctuations?
The cost of tickets and the boundaries of price changes are set by the Ministry of Transport, JSC "Russian Railways" and the carrier JSC "FPC". Tutu.ru charges only a service fee for its services, which depends on the total cost of the ticket, but does not depend on the time of sale and demand.
Why is the cost of different trains on the same route so different?
A ticket for a branded train usually costs significantly more than a non-branded one. The branded train offers the best quality services (food, amenity kit). As part of the branded train, only new cars with air conditioning and a dry closet are used. The carriages are always clean, the conductors have received additional training.
Also, different trains may be subject to different pricing programs. For example, the compartment car of train A is subject to dynamic pricing. And with low demand, the price for it will be lower than in the compartment car of Train B, which is influenced by seasonal factors.
Why are there different prices for coupes and reserved seats?
The price in different classes is very different - as a rule, the higher the level of comfort in the carriage, the more expensive the ticket.
Also, the price is related to the number of passengers in the carriage. The size of the carriage (and the price of its transportation) is always the same, and the number of passengers in different classes is different. The reserved seat has 54 seats, the compartment has 32 or 36 seats, which is 1.7 times less. Approximately so much higher is the price of a ticket in a compartment compared to a reserved seat.
It happens that a compartment in a non-branded train and reserved seats in a branded one are the same. Each of them has its own advantages. In a non-branded compartment, there are fewer passengers in the carriage, you can retire to the compartment. But the branded reserved seat is cleaner, there is an air conditioner and a dry closet.
Why are there different prices for the lower and upper seats?
The upper seats in a compartment are often 20-30% cheaper than the lower ones. Riding on the top bunk is less comfortable. If the price for the top spot were always the same as for the bottom one, they would be bought very reluctantly. With a lower price, Russian Railways is stimulating demand.
How to buy cheap tickets?
You can also buy inexpensive tickets for Sapsan. According to the “Junior” special rate, a 30% discount is valid for citizens of the Russian Federation from 10 to 21 years old. At the "Senior" rate, citizens of the Russian Federation over 60 years old receive a 30% discount. On the Tutu.ru website, the discount is applied automatically if the passenger's age matches the special rate. The price including the discount is displayed at the stage "Completing the order".
All life hacks can be found in the article “.
Can tickets get cheaper after the start of sales?
This can happen if the train is subject to dynamic pricing. If at the beginning of sales the demand was high and then fell, then the price may decline. This sometimes happens on the first day of sales (60 days before departure) - at 8:15 am tickets rise in price, and the next day the price is much lower.
When is the best time to buy tickets?
It is better to buy tickets in advance, soon after the opening of sales. At this time, there will be the lowest price and the largest selection of places. The closer to the departure date, the higher the price, as a rule.
When train tickets start selling:
- For all trains in Russia - for.
- For trains to non-CIS countries - 60 days before departure.
- Across the CIS and Baltic countries - 45 days.
- To Ukraine and Moldova - 30 days in advance.
Why are prices on Tutu.ru higher than at the box office?
If you bought a ticket for Tutu.ru, then its price consists of:
- the base ticket price assigned by Russian Railways,
- service fee Tutu.ru,
- payment system commissions.
We charge a service fee for our services, and in return we provide a high level of service. You can buy a ticket from us online in just a few minutes, you do not need to go to the ticket office for it. The purchase process itself is as simple and straightforward as possible (it consists of 5 steps with prompts and auto-complete). In case of any difficulties, the specialists of our 24/7 contact center will answer all your questions.
Why is the price on the ticket (coupon) lower than I paid?
The ticket contains the basic ticket price - excluding the Tutu.ru service fee and commissions of payment systems. This is the price at which it sells.
Are there discounts on tickets on Tutu.ru?
We have connected the system - a profitable shopping program for all Tutu.ru clients, offering special conditions for the purchase of tickets and tours, as well as the ability to accumulate points and exchange them for gifts.
Points are awarded for the purchase of plane tickets, train tickets (except for train tickets on the ua.tutu.travel website) and package tours for the entire purchase amount. You can also get points by completing special tasks.
1 bonus = 1 ruble. The accumulated points can be used to purchase Tutu.ru certificates for the purchase of railway tickets, as well as certificates in partner stores. The more purchases you make on Tutu.ru, the higher your status, which means more points, additional privileges and discounts.
To become a member of the program, you just need to make a purchase on the website. You can also join the program in your personal account on the Tutu.ru website by clicking on the button "Become a member of the loyalty program". Points will be awarded from the next purchase. Points are activated after the trip.
