Benefits for school students on Russian railway tickets. How much does a child's train ticket cost? Benefits for schoolchildren on train tickets in

The government provides various benefits to school students. Their goal is to give the population the opportunity to obtain the necessary knowledge for further specialized education. Benefits for schoolchildren include a considerable list of discounts in various organizations. Let's take a closer look at them.

Benefits for schoolchildren on rail travel

Throughout the year until June 15, discounted travel is mandatory for students over 10 years of age. However, it is only available subject to specific conditions. School students are required to submit a certificate from their educational institution to receive benefits if they are 10-14 years old. Students over 14 years of age, in addition to this certificate, must also present a document confirming the student’s right to receive this benefit. With the exception of the summer holidays, the state provides a 50% discount on the total cost of an adult ticket for the school period.

During the summer period, students who have already reached the age of 10 are not provided with discounted travel. This is caused by frequent attempts to deceive Russian Railways employees. Graduates who no longer have the right to be called schoolchildren often pretend to be high school students in order to ride on public transport with preferential licenses.

Receiving a discount

Each student receives a discount on the use of transport. However, after 10 years of age, special conditions for receiving discounted travel come into force for the student. Upon reaching the age of 10 years, when purchasing a ticket, a child must:

  • present to the railway employee a certificate confirming that he is studying at school;
  • show a document that can confirm the child’s identity and age;
  • For students who are already 14 years old, it is also mandatory to submit a statement that will confirm the right to the corresponding benefit.

The school certificate must have a certain format. Also contain the necessary information about the student and school. The required elements of the document are:

  1. Full name of the student.
  2. Legal address of the institution where the student receives secondary education.
  3. Details of the educational institution that the student attends.
  4. Signature of the director of the educational institution or his deputy;
  5. Seal.

Regulations on benefits 2019 for travel by rail

In 2018-2019, the president maintained preferential travel for schoolchildren on the train. However, whether this makes sense is not yet known. According to preliminary data, many regions are planning to abandon this category of commuter transport. However, the decree also affected long-distance trains. This benefit for students will be extended. Discount tickets can be purchased for any type of passenger train. The discount does not apply only to tickets for luxury carriages.

Other benefits for schoolchildren

In addition to railway travel, there are other benefits that are provided to schoolchildren by law. During the school year, students are provided with a significant discount on air tickets and buses. This type of benefits necessarily requires the presentation of the above documents.

As for food benefits, the situation has changed somewhat. While free lunches are mandatory for primary school students, the bulk of schoolchildren in grades 5-11 have been removed from the list of beneficiaries. Now a child is entitled to free food only if he belongs to the category of socially vulnerable citizens of the Russian Federation.

Every year, many people plan to go on a family trip. And of course, it will be more convenient and comfortable for young children to travel by rail.

Traveling by train with kids is much more convenient than flying on an airplane - there are no restrictions on movement. You can walk, jump, stand and play with your neighbors. And thanks to the developed railway infrastructure in Russia, you can choose from simple to complex routes that will not be tiresome for young travelers.

But, of course, when preparing for a trip, questions also arise: is there a Russian Railways children’s fare, how can you use it, what is necessary to buy tickets online. We will talk about this later in the article.

Who can use the free ticket?

If the baby has not reached the age of five, then according to Russian Railways rules, you don’t have to pay for it. Each adult is entitled to free transportation of one child. True, there will not be a separate place for it. But even if there is no such place, children will need to get a free ticket.

If a child is between five and ten years old, then the Russian Railways children's tariff applies to him. And for those over 10, you will have to buy an adult ticket. But from September 1 to May 31, children over 10 years old are offered a 50% seat discount for travel on non-branded reserved seat trains.

How much will a child's trip cost?

Guided by the rules of Russian Railways, the fare for children under ten years of age is 30-50% of the cost of an adult ticket. The price directly depends on the class of train and carriage. Thus, for travel on international trains, children from 6 to 17 years old enjoy a reduced fare. There are a few more nuances:

  1. If you are traveling with a child whose age limit has not reached the age of five, and for some reason he wants to sleep on a separate shelf, then he will have to buy a separate ticket (see Russian Railways child fare).
  2. If one adult is traveling with two children under five years of age, one of them must purchase a ticket with a seat. The discount on purchasing such a ticket will be up to 65% of the original cost (this depends on the type of train).
  3. If little passengers have already celebrated their 10th birthday, then the cost of Russian Railways tickets for children will be equal to the adult fare. Moreover, the child’s age is determined not on the date of purchase of the ticket, but on the date of actual departure.

Note: If the child is under 10 years old, he/she cannot travel alone. In addition to parents, these could be grandmothers, coaches or teachers, who must have a birth certificate for the passenger. No other documents will be needed.

Where can I buy tickets?

You can purchase travel documents through ticket offices located at the railway station, or at home via the Internet. In the first case, the parent’s passport and the child’s birth certificate will be sufficient.

In the second, you only need a birth certificate, from which you will need the following data:

  • document number and series;
  • by whom and when issued;
  • the city where the child was born;
  • his gender.

Features of purchasing train tickets for schoolchildren

Let us remind you once again that in the period from September 1 to May 31, the company is running a promotion for schoolchildren over 10 years old - you can purchase children's tickets at Russian Railways, the cost of which is only half of the original price. When traveling on a regular train, you can generally save 50% of the cost of an adult ticket. But when you travel to a discount it looks a little different. It is calculated from the tariff for a regular train, and the difference between the named tariffs is paid in full.

In other words, traveling on a regular train in a compartment carriage with a 10-year-old child will not save a single ruble. But you can get a reserved seat for half the price of an adult ticket.

To use the right to travel for a schoolchild between September 1 and May 31, you must present a certificate from the school to the cashier at the railway ticket office.

  1. It must state that this child (full name) is actually studying in a certain class and school.
  2. In addition, the certificate must contain information about the legal address of the school and its details, the number and date of issue of the certificate.
  3. It must be certified by the seal of the school and the signature of the director of the institution.

A discount ticket can only be purchased at the railway ticket office, since this service is not yet available via the Internet.

By the way, after presenting your certificate to the cashier, do not rush to part with it! You will need to present it to the conductors when boarding the carriage.

Russian Railways children's tariff: design features

When purchasing a child's ticket online, remember: you cannot buy such a ticket separately! It must be completed jointly with an adult. In addition, there is a restriction on purchasing no more than 4 adult tickets.

Let's look at the example of purchasing 4 reserved seat tickets for adults and 2 tickets for children without a seat (under 5 years old). Tickets should be purchased for three adults and one child first, and then for the remaining adult and child. The system will not allow you to place them as separate orders for 4 adults and 2 children.

To enter Roman numerals, with which the series begins, you need to switch the language keyboard layout from Russian to English register. You don’t have to enter dashes or spaces when entering series and document numbers; they don’t play a special role.

If for any reason there is a hitch when ordering a free children's ticket via the Internet, this can be done immediately before boarding, at the railway ticket office. It is enough to show the cashier your passport, provide the electronic ticket number and the young traveler’s birth certificate.

How you can save money when purchasing

To save on purchasing children's reserved seat travel documents, you need to know that the cost of Russian Railways train tickets depends on the season and tariffs that affect pricing. In other words, this is the relevance of the season for travel, the day of the week on which tickets are purchased, the popularity of this route, the availability of available seats and the price of competitors.

Knowing how and when tariffs change, you can calculate the most favorable time to purchase. It is reasonable to buy the cheapest tickets in the fall and on May 9 (on this day the price for all routes drops by half). The most expensive tickets are for holidays and the other 3 seasons - in the last days of December, in the first ten days of March and all summer. The rest of the time the price is at the average level, and sometimes below it.

Tariffs for luxury Russian Railways tickets remain unchanged throughout the year. None of the above factors affect them.

Buy earlier - save more

By purchasing tickets exactly 45 days before the expected date of travel, you have the opportunity to save up to 40%. This applies to trains operating within the country.

For international trains, to receive this discount, you must purchase tickets 60 days in advance. The same applies to domestic trains, such as Moscow - St. Petersburg, for example. It should be added that this discount applies to SV and compartment class cars.

How to get additional benefits

When purchasing tickets online for the SV Suite, an additional discount will be provided. This means that by purchasing tickets in both directions at once, you can get additional benefits.

Upon presentation of the Universal Russian Railways card, the cost of tickets on the Sapsan and Allegro trains will be calculated using an additional discount system.

Participation in the program for passengers traveling on long-distance trains will allow them to issue award tickets by accumulating points for funds previously spent on them. This program is distributed not only throughout Russia, but also abroad.

Bonus points can be awarded for trips made since December 2013. Points are calculated according to the scheme where 1 point corresponds to 3.34 Russian rubles. This program does not include long-distance trains, since there is a different discount system for them.

Refundable and non-refundable tickets

Railway transport is given the right to choose: purchase expensive tickets with the possibility of returning them, or buy a cheap ticket, which can be returned only for a good reason (an accident, a sudden illness).

When going on a trip, try to save not only your money, but also your time. It will be more pragmatic, convenient and comfortable to issue tickets while at home, via a computer. Websites that specialize in selling tickets online will help you choose a convenient route and the most favorable time to travel.

Bon Voyage!

Over the years, school students have had the opportunity to take advantage of various benefits provided by the state. The year 2017 is no exception. This year, schoolchildren are also provided with a variety of discounts and benefits so that they have the opportunity to receive a decent education and choose their specialty in the future. To assess the level of state care for the younger generation, let's take a closer look at what benefits schoolchildren have and what is needed to take advantage of them.

Discounts on train tickets

All students of Russian schools have the right to discounted travel, that is, the cost of train tickets for schoolchildren is lower than the regular price. However, in order to get a discount and buy train tickets at a low cost, you must follow a number of rules. Firstly, students between the ages of ten and fourteen must provide a school or college certificate to receive travel benefits. If a teenager aged 14 years or older wants to take advantage of the discount, then together with a certificate he must provide a document confirming his right to do so.
These rules apply only during school hours, that is, from the first of September to the fifteenth of June. To buy a Russian Railways ticket at a discount in the summer, a student needs to pay fifty percent of the cost of a regular ticket. Discounted travel is not provided to students during the summer. This measure is forced. Previously, the discount was provided to schoolchildren all year round, but there were many cases of attempts to deceive Russian Railways employees - teenagers who had already graduated from school tried to buy train tickets at a discount or even travel for free.

What do you need to receive benefits?

Russian schoolchildren have the right to discounted travel on all types of public transport, be it buses, metro or trains. Between the ages of seven and ten, it is not difficult for students to get a discount on travel. But after ten years, schoolchildren are subject to special conditions for receiving a discount. To buy tickets in Moscow, Astrakhan, Volgograd or any other city at a discounted price, the student must provide Russian Railways employees with the following documents:

  • Passport (or other identification document);
  • Student certificate from the educational institution;
  • For students over fourteen years of age - a statement with a note indicating that the student has the right to receive the appropriate benefit.

To prevent attempts to deceive Russian Railways employees, a certain format has been introduced that the certificate provided by the student must comply with. The student document must contain the following:

  • Seal of the educational institution;
  • Full name of the student;
  • Signature of the responsible person (usually the school principal or his deputy);
  • Details of the educational institution and legal address.

Upon provision of the specified documentation and its compliance with the established format, the student has the opportunity to buy Russian Railways tickets at a special price determined by the standards for this year.

Read more about how to get a train ticket for a child.

Interesting information about benefits for schoolchildren for the current year

In 2016, schoolchildren had the right to enjoy benefits when purchasing tickets for all types of railway transport, including electric trains. But many experts agreed that this is not entirely advisable, since many regions are now inclined to decide to abandon this type of transport altogether. Therefore, it is still unknown whether schoolchildren will enjoy benefits for travel on electric trains this year. But it is obvious that students will be able to purchase tickets for long-distance trains at the usual low cost.
Please note that schoolchildren can only take advantage of discounted fares on standard long-distance trains. No types of discounts or benefits for students apply to trains and luxury carriages.

What other discounts can students of schools and other educational institutions expect?

In accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation, students of schools, colleges and other educational institutions have the right to use all the benefits provided by the state to this category of persons. In addition to the reduced cost of train tickets, students have discounts on all types of ground public transport, with the exception of taxis. There is also a discount on air travel for schoolchildren under the age of fourteen. To receive discounts on air tickets and ground transportation, school and college students must provide all the documents listed above.
As for food benefits in educational institutions, there have been some changes. Previously, students in grades 1-11 were eligible to receive free meals. This year, only primary school students are eligible to use this benefit. Students in grades 5-11 cannot benefit from free meals.
However, all schoolchildren, regardless of age, have the right to buy discounted tickets to theaters and museums, as well as other cultural and educational institutions, regardless of whether they are commercial or public.

The state provides benefits for schoolchildren on train tickets in 2018. It consists of providing a discount when purchasing a ticket for long- and short-distance trains. But you can take advantage of the benefit if certain conditions are met.

When can I carry it for free?

Children under 5 years of age are entitled to free travel without the provision of a separate sleeping place. But this does not relieve parents from the need to purchase a ticket. It is issued when purchasing a ticket for an adult, subject to presentation of the birth certificate of a small family member.

Parents can only carry one child free of charge. The second and subsequent trips will have to be paid at current rates, regardless of the fact that passengers are under 5 years of age. But not at full price, but with a discount provided for a child aged 5 to 10 years

Benefits for children aged 5 to 10 years

Children aged 5 to 10 can only travel on trains if accompanied by an adult. The ticket must be purchased separately, but at a discount. It ranges from 35% to 65% depending on the class of train and the selected carriage.

The discount applies to trips within the country. If you travel to the CIS, tariffs may differ. But in any case, there are benefits for children, so parents do not have to pay the full cost of a ticket to transport small family members.

You can purchase a child ticket at the station ticket office after presenting your birth certificate. Purchasing is also available when making a reservation online. But in this case, the travel voucher is only included with an adult - it is worth taking this point into account when planning a group trip.


Persons under 10 years of age travel free of charge in luxury class carriages on domestic trains. But they will have to share one place with their mother or father.

Benefits for schoolchildren on the train

School benefits apply to the purchase of tickets for trips on the “swallow” (train). They are determined by regional authorities and depend on the policies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In most regions, schoolchildren receive a 50% discount on ticket purchases. The benefit is valid from September 1 to June 15 (in some areas until June 30).

Features of the benefit:

  • in some regions, schoolchildren pay for train tickets at full price (for example, in the Tver region);
  • may apply both to all schoolchildren and to persons with registration in a certain region (for example, in Crimea, a discount is provided only to local residents, and in Moscow - regardless of the region of registration);
  • in some regions you can purchase a monthly subscription with a 50% discount.

To receive the benefit, you will need to provide a certificate from the school. Children over 7 years old can ride the train without adult supervision within the region.

The relevance of the benefit remains questionable among the federal authorities. It is planned to cancel it due to the lack of demand for electric trains. Many regions want to abandon this type of railway transport.

For trips on Sapsan

Since 2016, Russian Railways has introduced a new tariff schedule for schoolchildren and students. Children aged 10 to 21 years old can receive a 30% discount on the cost of a pass for the Sapsan high-speed trains. The tariff is valid from September 1 to May 31 inclusive.


The Junior fare applies to the purchase of tickets for economy, economy+ and business class carriages. You can purchase tickets at the station ticket office and on the official Russian Railways website.

For long distance trains

Federal legislation provides for a benefit for schoolchildren on train tickets in the form of a 50% discount. It has several features:

  • valid from September 1 to June 15;
  • applies to schoolchildren over 10 years of age (up to this age, parents buy a child’s ticket);
  • To receive the benefit, you need a certificate confirming your student status;
  • the certificate must be with you at the time of purchasing the ticket and for the entire period of the trip;
  • if the passenger is already 14 years old, then together with the certificate he must present a statement that determines the right to the benefit;
  • Children over 14 years of age are required to present a passport.

In summer the benefit is not valid. This is due to the fact that many people attempt to deceive station employees by passing off their child as a student after graduating from school.

Summer discounts


Since 2016, parents can buy a ticket for their child on long-distance trains not only during school. For two years in a row, Russian Railways has provided a 50% discount on travel costs for children aged 10 to 17 years. The promotion is valid from June 1 to August 31.

The purpose of introducing this action was to increase the number of children on vacation. Since traveling long distances greatly strains the budget of parents, many refuse to take a joint vacation. Thanks to a special “summer” benefit, schoolchildren and students can pay only half the cost of the trip.

Advice. You can take advantage of the discount by actually purchasing tickets at the station or by pre-booking 60 days in advance. To do this, when placing an order, you must indicate the age of the child.

A special feature of the promotion is that there is no need to present a school certificate. To receive a discount, the child (parent) only needs to show a birth certificate or passport.

The promotion was valid in 2016 and 2017. It is now projected to be extended until 2019.

How to use the benefit

To purchase a school ticket at a discount, you must complete a number of steps:

  1. Obtain a student's certificate for travel on the train. If the child is already 14 years old (or will be on the date of travel), then an additional certificate of entitlement to benefits at the educational institution is issued.
  2. At the checkout, present the student's birth certificate (passport) and a certificate.
  3. Save the certificates until the end of the trip - they will be requested by the train conductors.

The certificate is drawn up by the school director according to the sample and has a unified form containing information:

  • Full name and date of birth of the student;
  • Full name of the school director;
  • details of the educational institution;
  • the essence of the certificate (it is indicated that the applied child is studying at school);
  • seal and signature of the director.

The certificate is valid for one academic year. But in some cases, the station may require a fresh document received no more than a month ago. This information should be clarified in advance.


Forecasts for 2018

In 2018, no changes are predicted in the provision of benefits for school-age children. Parents will also receive a 65% and 50% discount for a child under 10 years old and a schoolchild, respectively.

The “Summer Holidays” promotion, which provides a discount during the summer period to all minor citizens, is also planned to be launched before the holiday season.

According to analytical data, the “summer” rate significantly increases the number of schoolchildren traveling. According to forecasts, during the period from June 1 to August 31, 2018, over 500 thousand teenagers and children will use the Russian Railways service.

Parents of schoolchildren are entitled to the privilege of providing a discount of up to 65% on the purchase of train tickets. There are several different tariffs: for electric trains, long-distance trains, high-speed trains. A reduction in the cost of a travel pass is provided for each of the listed types of transport. To reduce the price, you will need to provide a certificate from the educational institution and an identification document of the small passenger.