Transportation of baggage, parcels, cargo and animals

Federal Passenger Service to provide new service - transporting unaccompanied pets in luggage compartments on long-distance trains.

The transportation of animals can now be arranged online on the Russian Railways website.

To do this passengers need to:

• enter the start and end points of the route;
• select from the list a train which offers the service “Transportation of animals without an accompanying person”;
• click on the service;
• fill out an application for the transportation in your personal account, indicating data about the animal and information about its care, and the full name and telephone number of the sender and recipient;
• book and pay for the service.

The application and receipt will be displayed in the “My Orders” section in the user’s personal account. The documents must be printed and presented to the conductor of the carriage in which the pet will travel.

Passengers can also arrange transportation at specialised baggage counters. Senders must fill out an application indicating the last name, first name, middle name or patronymic, the telephone numbers of the sender and recipient, and other necessary information.

Since 15 October 2021, the transportation of unaccompanied pets has been possible on all long-distance trains operated by JSC FPC and running on domestic services because they include staff cars with a separate compartment for the transportation of luggage.

Application for the provision of services for the transportation of unaccompanied animals

Conditions of Carriage

The following tamed domestic (indoor) animals are accepted for carriage as cargo luggage:

• small domestic (indoor) animals – cats, fennec foxes, domesticated foxes (Belyaev’s foxes), small-breed dogs;
• small rodents – squirrels, fancy rabbits, grey fancy rats, house mice, nutrias, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas;
• insectivores – hedgehogs;
• predators – raccoons, minks, ferrets;
• birds;
• small non-poisonous amphibians – axolotls, tree frogs, spurge frogs, newts;
• small non-poisonous reptiles – iguanas, chameleons, turtles, lizards;
• aquarium animals – fish, molluscs and crustaceans.

Animals submitted for carriage must not endanger the life and health of passengers and staff of the carrier. They must not be wild, undomesticated, unaccustomed to a cage (container), sick (have clear signs of disease such as open wounds, festering, herpes), experimental, dirty, have an unpleasant smell, or show threatening or restless behaviour.

Booklet with rules for transporting unaccompanied pets

Please note that your pet will remain in the luggage compartment during the entire journey in a sealed cage (container) or aquarium (tank, container) ensuring the safety of your pet throughout the entire journey. Together with your pet, you can send accompanying documents in an envelope (vet passport, vet record, pedigree, passport), a drinking trough with water, a feeding trough with food, one toy for the pet and an absorbent to keep the cage clean and hygienic. The animal’s condition during the journey will be monitored by the conductors of the passenger carriages.

When transporting animals (except for animals in aquariums) for more than one day, it is necessary to provide them with food and drinking water. In such cases, it is desirable that the feeder and drinker are attached to the cage (container) door., The cage (container) should preferably be equipped with a tray that can be pulled out without actually opening the cage (container).

Sanitary conditions inside the cage (container) can only be ensured in cages (containers) equipped with a pull-out tray!

Aquariums (tanks, containers) for transporting aquarium animals must be made of transparent material that enables all of its contents to be visually identified. Its design should have smooth, rounded surfaces to prevent damage to the aquarium animals during transport. If the tank is made of glass or other fragile material, it shall be accepted for carriage in a container or packaging that ensures its integrity and bears a warning label. The aquarium (tank, container) must be securely closed to prevent spontaneous opening and water infiltration. The tank must be fitted with handles for easy carrying.

The design of the aquarium (tank, container) should facilitate the feeding of aquarium animals if their feeding along the route is declared and provided by the sender.

At the destination station, the train staff will hand over the animal to the recipient named in the application after presenting proof of identity.

One consignor may arrange for no more than three pieces (cages, containers, aquariums, tanks) for the carriage of animals, which may not exceed 180 cm in total length (length + width + height). A maximum of two pets may be carried in each cage or container. The number of aquarium animals (fish, molluscs, crustaceans) in one aquarium (tank, container) is not regulated, but must allow for the visual identification of all its contents. The weight of each cage (container, aquarium, tank) together with the animals must not exceed 75 kg. The consignor shall load the cage (container, aquarium, tank) into the carriage, and the recipient shall unload it from the carriage.

RULES FOR RETURNING DOCUMENTS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF UNACCOMPANIED ANIMALS

Refunds of carriage charges payments in the event that the sender refuses to transport an animal in a carriage equipped with a compartment for transporting luggage, stop in the personal account on the Russian Railways’ website 1 hour before the train departs from the station where the animal is to be loaded as specified in the transportation document.

The fee for processing a refund for an unused transportation document is 303 roubles 00 kopecks for 1 transportation document.

To refund carriage charges in the event that the sender refuses to transport the animal after placing it in a carriage equipped with a compartment for transporting luggage, before the train departs the sender should present:

• the conductor of the passenger carriage stamps the transportation document (electronic baggage receipt) with "CARGO LUGGAGE ISSUED" and the date, makes a note that "Transportation Did Not Take Place", certifies it with his signature, the sender’s signature and returns the luggage waybill to the sender;
• the sender submits the transportation document (electronic baggage receipt) as certified by the signatures of both the passenger carriage’s conductor and himself, with the note that "Transportation Did Not Take Place", as well as the luggage waybill, to a specialised ticket office.

If the Sender refuses to transport the animal before the departure of the train on which the animal is to be sent, payments in the amount of the cost of transporting the animal and services for its transportation will be refunded minus a fee for the return of the unused Transportation Document.

To refund carriage charges if the sender refuses to transport the animal before placing the animal in a carriage equipped with a compartment for transporting luggage, the sender should present to a specialised ticket office:

• a transportation document and travel manifest, if the registration was carried out at the ticket office;
• an electronic cargo and luggage receipt, a travel manifest and an electronic receipt for the various fees charged for accompanying pets, if the registration was made on the website of Russian Railways.

To return carriage payments if the Sender refuses transportation after the animal has been placed in a carriage equipped with a compartment for luggage transportation, before the train departs:

• the conductor of the passenger car shall place the “CARGO LUGGAGE ISSUED” stamp on the Transportation Document along with the date, note that “Transportation did not take place,” certify it with his signature and the signature of the Sender, and return the manifest to the Sender.

The Sender must then present to the specialised cash desk a transportation document, certified by the signatures of the conductor of the passenger car and him or herself, with the stamps “LUGGAGE ACCEPTED”, “LUGGAGE ISSUED”, the date and the note that “Transportation did not take place”, as well as the manifest.

In all cases of a refund for the failed transportation of an Animal, all Transportation documents and receipts for the various fees shall remain with the carrier and serve as the basis for the repayment of funds.