MOSCOW (Realist English). Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held a working meeting on May 23 with Oleg Belozerov, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways (RZD), to review the company’s 2024 performance and discuss preparations for the summer travel season, the development of the Eastern railway corridor, and logistics support for the coal industry.
Mishustin underscored the strategic role of RZD in ensuring national transport connectivity and economic resilience. He stressed the importance of reliable coal logistics in the current market environment and confirmed that a dedicated meeting on the coal industry in the Kemerovo region will be held next week, as mandated by President Vladimir Putin.
Record-breaking performance in 2024
Belozerov reported that RZD transported 1.286 billion passengers in 2024, the highest annual figure since 2008. Long-distance domestic rail services carried a record 124 million passengers, while the Moscow Central Circle saw over 1 billion passengers in a single year.
Freight operations also hit new highs. Container transport volumes grew by nearly 6%, reaching 7.88 million units, while East–West transit times dropped to an average of 7.7 days. Traffic through the Eastern corridor — a critical route for export, import, and transit cargo — reached 370 million tonnes.
On digital transformation, Belozerov noted that 223,000 RZD employees now use Russian-developed IT systems, and 237 domestic platforms have been registered. RZD successfully repelled 2.5 million cyberattacks in 2024, and more than 7,000 kilometers of quantum communication lines were deployed as part of its secure data network initiative.
Among technical innovations, RZD introduced new eight-axle tank cars capable of hauling up to 1,470 tonnes, and launched an autonomous electric train on the Moscow Central Circle.
Summer readiness and family travel
Mishustin highlighted the critical importance of rail transport during the summer season, when family travel, children’s trips to summer camps, and tourism peaks.
Belozerov said RZD carried 6.4 million passengers during May holidays, a year-on-year increase of nearly 9%, with special services for veterans. For the summer, RZD plans to transport over 63 million passengers, deploying 102 additional train pairs, especially on routes to southern Russia and the Black Sea coast.
A record 650,000 seats have been reserved for organized children’s groups, up 13% from last year. New passenger cars are being procured and distributed to 11 Russian regions, including a new generation of wider, longer T-gauge carriages, 38 of which will be introduced on the Moscow–St. Petersburg route this autumn.
Boosting rail tourism and station modernization
In 2025, RZD aims to carry 1.345 million rail tourists, a 25% increase over the previous record in 2024. A total of 107 themed routes are planned, including projects such as The Memory Train, Heroes’ Journey, Big Break, and Dream Trip.
Infrastructure upgrades are underway: two new train stations were opened this month — in Kursk on May 5 and Grozny on May 15. In total, 118 passenger infrastructure facilities are slated for modernization across the country.
Belozerov thanked the government for extending fare discounts for children’s summer travel and for new legislation that facilitates the expansion of rail tourism in Russia.
Final remarks
At the close of the meeting, Mishustin congratulated the RZD team on the victory of their hockey club, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, in the KHL Gagarin Cup — the club’s first in history.
“Please convey my warmest congratulations to the team and head coach Igor Nikitin,” said the Prime Minister. He concluded by wishing RZD success in achieving its strategic objectives and contributing to Russia’s broader national development goals.
