The increase was fixed by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 22, 2026 No. 1924-R. Together with the basic tariffs, related services for the use of railway infrastructure and contractual fees set for shippers on an individual basis will increase in price by 8.5%.
Indexing usually takes effect on December 1. The postponement to October gives Russian Railways an additional two months of fees at new rates — the company expects to receive about 20 billion rubles over the plan. The funds will be used to modernize tracks, upgrade rolling stock and expand the capacity of highways, primarily in the eastern direction.
The early launch of indexation removes the issue of a second increase before the end of 2027: the next tariff revision is scheduled only from January 1, 2028.
"The parameters of indexation of tariffs for freight rail transportation for 2027 are fixed by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 22, 2026 No. 1924-r and will amount to 8.5% (from October 1, 2026), in the medium term it is estimated to be 7.3% from January 1, 2028, and 5.6% from January 1, 2029.".
The medium-term forecast of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation fixes two subsequent indexations: plus 7.3% in 2028 and plus 5.6% in 2029. The growth rate is slowing down, but the total increase in the cost of railway logistics in three years will exceed 23%.
For participants in foreign trade focused on the BRICS countries, rail transit remains one of the key delivery tools, especially on routes through the eastern polygon to China and Mongolia. The increase in tariffs from October will directly contribute to the cost of shipments in the fourth quarter. Companies entering into long-term contracts with a fixed delivery price should review the transport component, taking into account the already well-known indexation schedule until 2029.
