Rail transport is one of the most convenient ways to travel. With every trip planned well in advance, the ability to return an unwanted ticket remains an essential service for all passengers. To avoid confusion and the passenger to return most of the cost of the trip that did not take place, Russian Railways has developed a clear system for returning travel documents.
Basic rules for returning train tickets
Depending on the time when the passenger contacts the refund office, he may qualify for different compensation for the cost of a ticket purchased in the Russian Federation for travel between stations within the country.
Application earlier than 24 hours before the departure of the train gives the right to re-issue a ticket for a train with an earlier departure date. Up to 8 hours before check-out time, a full refund is guaranteed (minus the box office fee).
Between 8 and 2 hours before the start of the trip, the passenger will receive half the cost of a reserved seat and the entire cost of a ticket on a comfortable electric train. But you will have to pay a fee to process the return.
Less than 2 hours means that the passenger cannot claim a refund for a reserved seat. But he will receive the full price for the ticket.
Return process
In the Russian Railways rules, the conditions for the return of train tickets provide for the presence of a return ticket office at each station, which any passenger can contact. In this case, it is worth presenting an official
If the passenger for whom the travel document is issued cannot go to the ticket office, any other person who has a certified power of attorney on his behalf can do this for him.
Regardless of the time when the train ticket is returned, the commission from the operation is withdrawn in full. Only if, due to the fault of the carrier, the trip is impossible, the passenger is refunded the full cost without commissions and deductions.
Payment for the use of bed linen and other services included in the cost of the trip is refunded in full, regardless of the time of contacting the refund office.
Return of international tickets
To receive the full cost of a ticket for travel between countries, you must contact the ticket office no later than 24 hours before the train departs from the station indicated by the starting point of the trip. In this case, the fee for processing the preliminary registration of a travel document is not refundable.
Also, the conditions for the return of train tickets also provide for a commission fee for the operation.
The passenger has the right to return tickets for his relatives, provided that one of these documents is his. He will receive the entire amount of accompanying payments only if he presents a passport or birth certificate for each passenger for whom tickets are being returned.
You can claim compensation for half the cost of a reserved seat and the entire ticket if the documents are returned less than 24 hours, but no more than 6 hours before departure. 6 hours before departure and no later than 3 hours after the cost of the reserved seat will not be reimbursed.
If tickets were purchased in the Baltic countries or the CIS, then the money for the trip is returned to the place of purchase, and the ticket itself is cancelled. With such a document, you will need to contact the ticket office of the country where the travel document was purchased, and all funds will be returned in accordance with local ticket refund rules. In this case, the time of circulation is considered to be the moment the validity of the travel document is interrupted.
The railway was, is and, in the near future, will be the most popular mode of transport when it comes to intercity or interregional communication. The number of passengers of JSC Russian Railways is constantly growing, because the train is not only a convenient, but also a fairly economical mode of transport. But, unfortunately, sometimes life circumstances develop in such a way that we are forced to abandon planned and long-awaited trips. But what if the ticket for the Russian Railways train has already been paid for? Will you be able to exchange the purchased document for another date, return the money in full, or will only part of the money paid be refunded? And what commission will the Russian Railways charge for exchanging or returning a purchased train ticket?
If you are faced with the problem of exchanging or returning a travel document purchased from Russian Railways, our lawyers will be happy to help you understand all the intricacies of the current situation. In order to receive advice from highly qualified lawyers, you only need a computer or Internet connection. After all, you just need to enter the question you are interested in in a special online form and our consultants will tell you:
- how to return a Russian Railways e-ticket;
- how much the commission will be if you decide to return the coupon and return your money;
- Do the rules for transporting passengers provide for penalties for refusing a travel document;
- where to download a sample power of attorney to refuse tickets purchased by a legal entity;
- Is it possible to return a document certifying the right to travel purchased online;
- how to understand how much you lose when returning a travel pass;
- Are electronic travel tickets purchased through the Russian Railways website subject to exchange?
It is important to note that consultations on these and other issues are provided by our specialists around the clock (excluding lunches, holidays and weekends), and also absolutely free.
The rules governing the return of such documents establish a number of conditions under which you have the right to return both an electronic travel ticket purchased through the website and a regular one purchased through the ticket office of Russian Railways OJSC. The rules established by the domestic railway company regulate the terms of refusal and exchange of railway tickets, fines for refusing a trip, requirements for a power of attorney on behalf of a legal entity (if travel passes were not purchased on behalf of an individual).
The amount of money received back will directly depend on the time it takes to contact the refund office:
- if you want to exchange or return the purchased document eight or more hours before the train departs, then you can return the full cost of the trip, which is 100% of the cost of the travel card and 100% of the cost of the reserved seat;
- if you can contact the ticket office only later than eight hours, but no later than two hours before departure, then you will be able to return 100% of the cost of the travel card and only half the cost of the reserved seat;
- If you can contact the refund office only less than two hours before departure, then you can only count on a refund of the cost of the travel pass. The cost of the reserved seat, in this case, is non-refundable.
Knowing these rules, you can easily calculate how much you lose when submitting a document. Also, it is worth noting that you can submit such a document and return the money only when you contact the Russian Railways ticket office, regardless of whether the ticket was purchased through the website or at the ticket office.
Can the pass be exchanged?
In accordance with the conditions and rules governing the return and exchange of travel passes, Russian Railways passengers have the right to exchange previously purchased passes for trains traveling on a different date. To do this, the passenger must contact the ticket office. But it is worth noting that the re-issuance of travel coupons for an earlier next train is carried out by a responsible employee of the domestic railway service, only on condition that there are at least twenty-four hours left before the train departs.
An important condition for the exchange is that Russian Railways retains additional commissions and fees for the exchange of travel coupons. You can find out detailed information about exactly how much you will have to pay extra for the exchange directly from the railway ticket office employees.
What documents must be presented in order to return the money?
The conditions for the return of money stipulate that if a passenger intends to return a travel pass purchased on the website or through the Russian Railways ticket office, he must present the following documents to the ticket office:
- the ticket itself;
- bank card from which the payment was made (if applicable);
- power of attorney from a legal entity (if applicable), drawn up according to the correct template.
You can request a sample power of attorney at the box office or download it on the website. It is worth paying special attention to the fact that a power of attorney that does not correspond to the sample is a reason for refusing to return the money. A power of attorney drawn up incorrectly or containing inaccurate data may also prevent you from returning your money.
If you purchased a ticket on the website using a bank card, you will only be able to receive money on the same card. Typically, money is credited within seven to thirty days. You can find out how much money will be credited in your case on the Russian Railways website or at the cash desk.
Exceptions
It is worth noting that the rules governing the refusal of tickets have a number of exceptions. For example, if you purchased 2 tickets for a luxury class carriage on an international train in one order, then, unfortunately, you will not be able to return only one such document. Also, the rules for returning tickets for international trains differ from the rules for tickets purchased for local trains. For example, these rules establish different deadlines for canceling a trip and penalties. Moreover, you will have to pay the fine for canceling a trip by train following an international connection in foreign currency at the rate valid on the date of cancellation of the trip.
You can find a more detailed list of exceptions on the Russian Railways website.
Considering the number of exceptions and clauses in the terms of return and exchange of tickets, passengers often have misunderstandings related to the amount of money returned or refusal to return money. If you find yourself in such a situation and want to defend your legitimate interests, you can always seek legal assistance from our specialists!
Also, a train cannot have more passengers than there are seats on the train (we mean passenger trains, not electric trains), so if all the tickets are sold out, a person simply will not leave on this flight, because there is no option to “ride while standing.”
Buying a ticket in advance and its advantages
That is why from all of the above it follows that it is better to take tickets in advance, this also applies to studying the schedule, so that there are no unpleasant surprises before the trip. Fortunately, today's technologies allow you to purchase a travel document without leaving your home. At the same time, a person can choose a suitable seat based on financial preferences and comfort (reserved seat, compartment or sleeping car), and the closer the travel date, the fewer suitable seats, so it is better not to postpone the purchase of tickets until later.
The main thing is not to wave after the train
The ideal travel option is to arrive at the station half an hour before the arrival of your train, board and get off at the desired stop. But situations in life are different, say, being late for a train due to some reasons, objective or subjective, leaves a person without a trip, because the driver leaves at exactly the set time and it doesn’t matter to him how many people did not manage to board the car, because the station dispatcher several times warns about the departure of the train.
The trip is canceled - we return tickets
Also, the trip may be canceled some time before the departure date; this is good if the person did not have time to buy a ticket. But if the travel document is already in hand, then the question becomes relevant: what are the rules for returning and returning train tickets (procedure, conditions and how much do you lose). After all, traveling by train, and even over long distances, is not a cheap pleasure. Of course not traveling by plane, but still. But the procedure for returning a ticket is quite extensive and it is better to know some of its nuances.
Return of an electronic ticket
So, the process of returning a ticket depends on several factors, the main one of which is the type of ticket:
— electronic;
- on the form.
In the first case, you can return it as well as purchase it without leaving your home. The booking system has a special service where, following the pictures, you can complete the process of returning your travel document. As for the refund, it will be returned to the card within a month; if the payment was made using payment systems, this will happen within 10-60 days.
Procedure for returning a travel document
Returning an electronic ticket to the ticket office will not pose any special problems, the only thing is if the electronic registration has not been completed or there is more than an hour left before the train departs from the starting station.
You can also return a ticket in the usual manner if the passenger did not board the departing train (was late) within 3 hours.
Whether it is a regular or a claim return procedure, you need to have with you the document whose data was entered into the order form and give the 4-digit order number. By the way, the railroad will not refund service or commission fees.
We rent out earlier, they return more
Well, now it’s time to move on to the process of returning traditional (for now) tickets on blank paper purchased at the box office. In fact, it is not much different from the process described above. But passengers will be interested to know how much
can be returned for the returned travel document. By the way, the cost of a ticket consists of the price of the journey itself and the price of a seat in the carriage (reserved seat).
So, if the ticket is returned at least 8 hours before the departure of the train, the passenger receives the full cost of the ticket.
If you return it at least 2 hours in advance - 100% of the fare and 50% of the reserved seat.
You can also do this operation after the train departs (no later than 12 hours) - only the fare is refunded. The same proportions, but only different timing for trains departing abroad:
- at least 24 hours - full;
- at least 6 hours - 100% and 50%;
- no later than 3 hours after departure - minus the reserved seat.
Return of tickets
And I thought it wouldn’t hurt to talk about how much money is lost during this procedure. It turned out that it would not be possible to return the ticket for free, but if you do not do it at the last moment, you can still save the bulk of the cost.
This article is about monetary losses when surrendering. Read about the technical procedure for handing over a ticket.
Let's start with the fact that the cost of travel on a train consists of the cost of a “ticket” and the cost of a “reserved seat”:
A ticket is the cost of your travel directly, while a reserved seat, if the memory of the former conductor serves me correctly, is defined as a payment for the maintenance of the railway track, for the work of the train crew employees, etc. Therefore, it is logical that the refund of the cost of a ticket and reserved seat is carried out in different ways in different situations. I would like to note right away that in all cases you will definitely be charged a fee for returning the ticket (until the end of 2017 it is 192.7 rubles for each seat). Let's consider possible options (in this case, options for returning tickets issued for travel across the territory of the Russian Federation):
- The ticket is returned no later than 8 hours before the train departs from the passenger boarding station - you will be refunded 100% of the cost of the ticket and reserved seat. The only fee that I mentioned above is charged.
- The ticket is returned from 2 to 8 hours before the train departure - 100% of the ticket price and 50% of the cost of the reserved seat are refunded.
- The ticket is returned less than 2 hours before departure or no later than 12 hours after departure (yes!) - 100% of the ticket price is refunded. The cost of the reserved seat is not refundable, which is logical, considering what the money from the reserved seat is spent on. They go to maintain the movement of the train, as I already said, to pay the conductor. That is, if you return your ticket too late, then it is unlikely that they will have time to sell it, but the train will still travel without you. It is quite logical that the cost of a reserved seat in this state of affairs should be maintained.
- Within 5 days after the train departs, you can return the cost of the ticket if there is a valid reason (illness, accident, etc.) To obtain a refund, you will have to present supporting documents. The cost of the reserved seat, of course, is again non-refundable.
All of the above applies to tickets, purchased at the box office.
With electronic tickets it’s a little more complicated. You can return them either on the website or at the box office. If for a ticket electronic registration failed(however, now electronic registration is automatic, but it can also be cancelled), then you can submit it on the website right up to the time of train departure from passenger boarding stations. If you don’t have time, then we go to the cashier. The fees are the same as listed above.
Electronic ticket for which electronic registration has been completed, can be returned on the website no later than 1 hour before the train departs from starting station of the train route. Until this time, you can cancel electronic registration. But after that, you can return this ticket at the box office, in the claim procedure. You will need to fill out an application, the review period of which is a month. The money will be returned to the card from which the payment was made, in this case much longer than with a regular ticket return.
Thus, if you are not very confident about the trip, then it may be reasonable not to check in electronically and then quickly issue a refund online. Just be sure to remember to print out a ticket on a form before traveling if electronic registration has not been completed.
It is worth noting that the rules for refunding money for tickets issued for Russian Railways trains abroad are different. If necessary, you can look.
Read the article about how to return a train ticket, electronic or regular 😀
Thank you all for your attention. See you again on the site!
Rate the article!The terms, procedure and rules for the return (delivery) of Russian Railways tickets, for domestic and international routes, are regulated by the established standards of the railway company JSC Russian Railways and are regulated by legislation that protects consumer rights.
The rules for the return of such documents establish a sequence of conditions on the fulfillment of which the possibility of a refund of funds spent on purchased and unused tickets will depend.
Tickets sold both through the railway ticket office and those purchased through the website - electronic coupons - are subject to refund and compensation.
You can return your travel document at the return desk; they are available at any railway station. To do this, you must present your passport.
Please note that in any case, part of the amount spent will be withheld.
Full reimbursement (without deductions and commissions) of the cost of a travel document is possible only in one case - if the trip did not take place due to the fault of the carrier.
Money will be returned in the same way the ticket was paid for. Cash is issued on the spot at the cash desk, and funds transferred through a bank card will be transferred to the same card.
If the ticket is returned abroad, the money for it is paid upon return to Russia. You will have to show the refund receipt you received. To return the maximum amount, you need to submit your “international” travel documents as early as possible.
If the trip had to be canceled due to emergency reasons - illness or accident, you must provide documentary evidence. In this case, 5 days are given for return.
Organized passenger groups have their own return regulations.
If a ticket is lost, Russian Railways does not refund the money, since the fault lies with the passenger.
Return of electronic tickets
The general rules also apply to electronic documents of Russian Railways.
We return online
Please note that a return is possible if the purchase was paid for by a bank card or payment systems. Go to the carrier’s website (Russian Railways) in your account – personal account.
- "My orders" tab.
- "Ticket status"
- "Return Processing"
If you have multiple travel documents in your order, you can cancel them all or selectively as needed.
If electronic registration has taken place, no more than an hour will be available for ticket refunds before the train departs from the first station of its route.
If more than an hour has passed, it is not possible to carry out the return procedure remotely on the website - you will have to go to the cashier.
Through the cash register
To return an electronic document, you also need to appear in person at the ticket office with your passport. The cashier will ask you for the 14-number code found on your boarding pass.
Returns are possible in two cases:
- electronic registration has not taken place or is not available at all for this direction;
- electronic registration has taken place, but there is still more than an hour before the train departs (counted from the starting point).
If there is little time before departure (less than an hour), the normal return procedure is no longer possible. You will have to resort to the claim form. If the train has already moved, then the normal return procedure applies.
Ticket return fees
The carrier's tariff for the service consists of the price of transportation (train travel), the type of car, and the commission component. Expenses for various fees (commissions, service) are non-refundable. Each route has its own tariff.
Suburban destinations:
- After the “start” of the composition – 0%.
- Less than 2 hours before the train “start” – 50% with other deductions.
- More than 2 hours – full cost with other deductions.
Foreign destinations:
- Less than 6 hours before the “start” and no more than 1 hour after it (at the ticket window of the client’s station) - fare minus the reserved seat and all commissions;
- From 24 to 6 hours – 100% and 50% reserved seat with other deductions;
- Up to 24 hours and earlier – the entire cost with other deductions.
Interregional directions:
- Less than 2 hours before the “start” and no more than 12 hours after it (at the ticket window of the passenger station) - the fare minus the reserved seat and all commissions.
- From 8 to 2 hours – 100% and 50% reserved seat with other deductions.
- No more than 8 hours – full cost with other deductions.
A reserved seat refers to the fare classification, and not the type of carriage familiar to the passenger. The share of a reserved seat in the total cost of a ticket varies from 30 to 80%.
Payment for services for the provision of bed linen and other travel “needs” is fully refundable, regardless of the route and the deadline for submitting travel documents.
International destinations have their own tariffs, which depend on the transport policy of another state. Each carrier has its own regulations.
In case of any complaints, you need to contact the box office where the ticket was purchased.
Commission fees
When processing a refund, the passenger is charged a claim fee of 185.40 rubles (suburban destinations – 50 rubles).
A service fee is also deducted, which is announced by the carrier and its partners before making a purchase (these are the costs of payment, booking, telephone consultation, technical support, etc.).
Its size depends on the class of the car - from 274 to 785 rubles. Payment system fees are non-refundable.
The rate for returning tickets online is 90 rubles for each travel document.
Return deadlines
The rule for returns is that they are returned in the same way the purchase was made.
This allows you to stop the actions of scammers.
Regardless of the payment method, a single return period is established - 30 days from the date of return of the ticket.
Cash amounts are issued on the spot at the cash desk - immediately .
Practice shows that the amount is received on a bank card within 30 days, through payment systems - within 10 days (maximum 60 by law).
If you return your ticket and the carrier refuses to return the money, feel free to go to court.
Power of attorney for return
If there is a need to submit a child's document, in addition to your passport, you will need the child's birth certificate. It is also possible to return a ticket issued for any member of your family. You must present identification documents for yourself and your relative.
