Rail freight transportation through the Russian railway network became more expensive as of 1 December 2025. Tariffs for infrastructure use increased by 10% due to indexation, while more prices will go up in January.
In addition to the general rail freight tariff indexation already in place, on 1 January 2026, a 10% increase will apply to regular freight cars and special platforms used to transport containers when they travel empty. An exemption will apply to freight cars and platforms travelling empty to and from repair facilities.
A struggling rail economy
The empty moves surcharge aims to improve the efficiency of capacity utilisation within the Russian railway network. At the same time, the general freight tariff increase imposed by Russian Railways can be considered a systemic, planned move. However, one cannot overlook that the 10% increase, which followed a 13.8% increase precisely one year ago, reflects the struggles Russian Railways is currently facing.
RailFreight.com has previously reported that Russian Railways’ net profit for the first half of 2025 was wiped out, while the national operator and infrastructure manager is also facing substantial issues with infrastructure project financing and delivery. Consequently, and in this context, the price hike can be considered moderate and in line with Russia’s macroeconomic conditions.