Who can apply. Passengers with limited mobility with disabilities in Groups I and II, those who have persistent visual, hearing and independent movement disorders, and disabled children, as well as passengers travelling on a stretcher and with temporary health restrictions or who are at an advanced age (over 70) with severe visual impairment or moving in wheelchairs, using crutches, walkers, and other technical means of transportation.

Application deadline. At least 24 hours before the forthcoming trip or arrival at the destination station.

The services are provided at more than 10,000 stations and stops. The list can be clarified by contacting the Mobility Assistance Centre at Russian Railways.

More information on the services offered to passengers with limited mobility who have submitted the relevant request to the Mobility Assistance Centre for accompaniment and assistance at stations can be found here.

Submit the application

Passengers with disabilities can book tickets for specialised seats on the website by specifying their Individual Insurance Account Number (SNILS) number in the user's personal account (go to your personal account). Verifying the presence of a disabled passenger and the need to use a wheelchair to grant priority right when booking tickets is carried out automatically on the basis of information from the Federal Register of Disabled Persons.

Who can submit an application:

• disabled passengers using wheelchairs – from the date when tickets go on sale;
• disabled passengers in all categories and passengers with no disabilities, but who are travelling on urgent trips to/from medical institutions and moving in wheelchairs or on stretchers – 10 days (240 hours) before the departure of the long-distance train and from the date tickets go on sale for the "Sapsan" and "Ruskeala Express" trains.

The conditions for issuing tickets to specialised places for disabled people can be found here.

Application deadline: at least 2 days before the date of departure of the train. Reservation is possible if free specialised seats/berths on the train are available.

Application processing time: no more than 2 working days.

Immediate withdrawal from the sale of reserved seats/berths when making this application is technically impossible, seats/berths can be purchased by other passengers during the application review period.

Discounts on the tariffs in force at the time tickets are booked/purchased are applied to specialised seats/berths for the disabled.

Attention! No fee is charged for reserving specialised seats for the disabled on long-distance trains.

In the case of reserving seats from general sales, a fee may be charged in accordance with Paragraph 28 of the Rules for the Transportation of Passengers, Luggage and Cargo Luggage by Rail in accordance with Order No. 352 approved by the Ministry of Transport of Russia on 5 September 2022.

The amount of fees and charges, including for reserving seats/berths on long-distance trains and applying for refunds for unused tickets, can be found here.

When returning tickets issued for reserved seats/berths upon request, reservation fees are not refunded.

Submit the application

Who can apply: passengers with Group I disabilities, disabled children and one accompanying person.

What seats/berths are reserved: one lower seat/berth for a disabled passenger and one lower (if available) or upper seat/berth for an accompanying person in one compartment (seats/berths from general sale) of trains operated by th JSC Federal Passenger Company.

Note: if you need to reserve specialised seats/berths for disabled people, please see the terms of application here.

When booking/issuing tickets at the ticket office, passengers must present an identity document, SNILS/Personal Insurance Policy Number. If there is no information about the disability in the Federal Register of Disabled People, tickets can be booked upon presentation of a Medical and Social Expertise certificate issued by the Medical and Labour Expert Commission.

Application deadline: from the opening date of the ticket sale, applications are no longer accepted 10 days before the train departure.

Application processing time: no more than 2 working days.

The deadline for purchasing a ticket at the ticket office: within 2 days from the date of reservation (excluding the date of reservation).

Applications can be made by calling the Mobility Assistance Centre at Russian Railways on 8 (800) 775-00-00. Calls are free of charge within Russia. When making an application, it is necessary to name the SNILS number of a passenger with a disability to Verifying the information from the Federal Register of Disabled Persons.

If there are no available seats/berths on the selected train, the carrier will reserve seats/berths on any other train travelling in the specified direction.

We recommend that passengers purchase tickets themselves on the website or through the RZD «Passengers» mobile app. It is technically impossible to exclude immediately reserved seats from sale when submitting this application; seats can be purchased by other passengers during the application review period.

Attention! In the case of reserving seats from general sales, a fee may be charged in accordance with Paragraph 28 of the Rules for the Transportation of Passengers, Luggage and Cargo Luggage by Rail in accordance with Order No. 352 approved by the Ministry of Transport of Russia on 5 September 2022.

The amount of fees and charges, including for reserving seats/berths on long-distance trains and applying for refunds for unused tickets, can be found here.

When returning tickets issued for reserved seats/berths upon request, reservation fees are not refunded.

Applications for reserving seats/berths for disabled people and World War II veterans on long-distance trains, as well as their accompanying persons, are accepted starting from the date tickets go on sale. The acceptance of applications ends two days before the train’s departure date.

Attention! Reservation of seats/berths for residents of besieged Leningrad is available for trains departing from 1 December 2023.

The registration of free tickets can be done at ticket offices upon presentation of a document confirming the right to benefits:

• certificate of a Participant in the Great Patriotic War;
• certificate of a Disabled Person of the Great Patriotic War;
• certificate for the Award of the Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad";
• certificate for the Award of the Medal "Resident of Blockaded Leningrad" badge.

For foreign citizens, tickets are issued upon presentation of a certificate issued by the relevant authorities of the former USSR, in the form in effect on 1 January 1992.

For detailed information on the procedure for issuing free tickets to WWII veterans and disabled veterans, please see here.

Who can apply: disabled passengers using wheelchairs.

Application deadline: from the time tickets go on sale. Applications are no longer accepted 14 days before the train’s departure.

Application processing time: no more than 10 business days. 

Applications are considered individually, based on the availability of carriages with specialised seats/berths and the technical feasibility of including an additional carriage in the train or replacing one type of carriage with another.

Passengers can find the conditions for booking tickets for specialised seats/berths for disabled people, including at ticket offices after reserving seats, here.

Applications for the inclusion of a carriage with seats/berths for the disabled in a passenger train can be made by calling the Mobility Assistance Centre at Russian Railways on 8 (800) 775-00-00. Calls are free of charge within Russia.