Last year, Russians used rail transport was used a record number of times! This means that despite many difficulties and the Special Military Operation, Russian citizens are travelling across their own country by train more so than at any point in history!

In 2025, Russian Railways (RZD) achieved a record by transporting over 1.311 billion passengers, marking a 1.9% increase from the previous year. The vast majority of these trips, approximately 1.183 billion, were on suburban commuter routes, reflecting daily mobility patterns like work and study commutes. Long-distance travel accounted for a smaller share, with 126.7 million trips, which saw a slight decrease of 0.6% from 2024.

Leisure and tourism were primary motivators for long-distance train travel, with trains being a preferred choice for 59% of Russians traveling domestically. The most popular destinations were a mix of major cultural hubs and southern resort cities. The route between Moscow and St. Petersburg was the undisputed leader, accounting for nearly 15% of all bookings. Other highly popular routes included travel to the Black Sea coast, with destinations like Sochi, Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, and Anapa being major draws, especially during the summer months. Furthermore, interest was notably high for cities like Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, and Kazan, showing a growing interest in diverse cultural and historical destinations across the country.

Freight traffic by railroad is also expanding across Russia.