Trains throughout Russia keep moving, most international routes are suspended till the situation with COVID 2019 normalizes. Despite the fact that passengers can still use the railways, RZD (the Russian Railways) changed its refund and cancelation policy to help those who preferred to stay home.
UPDATE on April 6: the refund period is extended to June 1, 2020.
Please, note that each type of the ticket comes with different conditions on refunds.
Standard cancelation and refund rules say that the passenger can return a ticket and gets refund of its value minus 210 rubles 60 kopecks, provided the cancelation takes place no later than eight hours before departure.
Due to the current COVID situation in Russia, cancelation of mass events in many Russian regions, first of all in Moscow and St. Petersburg, this rule also applies to non-refundable tickets. The procedure is simple: you come to a ticket-office or push a button online.
Attention: this rule is in effect only till April 10.
Earlier RZD issued a press release saying that non-refundable tickets could be refunded only in person, at a ticket-office. A few days later, it has been changed allowing the refund online too.
What if the passenger is under a 14-day quarantine enacted by authorities and has no possibility to come to a ticket-office? He is still entitled to refund after April 10, but is obliged to bring medical docs to confirm he had been isolated.
This refund procedure works for groups:
— if your group’s travel by train in Russia was scheduled to start in the period of March 18 to 31, you will get a full refund and reservation fee minus 210 rubles 60 kopecks for each ticket;
— if departure was scheduled between April 1 and May 1, then typical rules apply (no full refund) + reservation fee is also refunded. And again minus 210 rubles 60 kopecks for each ticket.
Other important railway coronavirus-related information: despite the fact that mass gatherings in Moscow and Russia are limited 50 persons, these restrictions apply to events only and don’t work at transport.