Russian Railways promises to restore train service on Putin’s orders

Russian Railways has promised to restore commuter-train service throughout the country as soon as possible. “We’re developing a plan, and will restore [service] in the shortest possible processing time (for reactivating reserve equipment and coordinating new train schedules),” says a company spokesperson.

Earlier today, in a meeting with members of his government, President Putin demanded the immediate restoration of commuter-train service everywhere in Russia that it’s recently been canceled due to budget constraints, placing responsibility for the cancellations on Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. 

“Was it really impossible to deal with all this earlier? And now you’re telling me you need another two months to reestablish [canceled] commuter-train services?” said Putin.

In late December 2015, Russia’s Ministry of Transportation warned that more than 20 regions across the country might be forced to cancel commuter trains, if local officials failed to pay rail-service providers more money.

Commuter-train service in Pskov and Vologda has ceased entirely. The number of trains in Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Tambov, and the Trans-Baikal region has also dropped sharply.

Reports appeared on February 4 that the government in Tula has shut down all commuter trains, though the company operating trains there denies this information.

Russian Railways places full responsibility for the cancellations of commuter trains on regional state officials, whose job it is to subsidize such services. Regional authorities, in turn, have said budget shortfalls necessitate cutbacks.