Russian Railways expands capacity as southern travel demand surges

Russian Railways has announced plans to boost capacity on popular routes heading south. The company will add more carriages to existing trains where possible. Officials also confirmed that enough seats remain available for travellers. The move comes as demand for southern destinations rises. Over 6,400 seats are open on Moscow–Sochi routes, with around 9,000 to Krasnodar and more than 4,700 to Novorossiysk. Other routes include over 5,500 seats to Mineralnye Vody, nearly 9,700 to Samara, and over 7,300 to Saratov.

From May 10, extra train services will run from Adler, Novorossiysk, Mineralnye Vody, Astrakhan, and Volgograd back to Moscow. The changes aim to ease travel during peak periods.

Air travel is also resuming with adjustments. Flights to southern Russia will restart after 3:00 PM Moscow time, following schedule updates. By the end of the day, 59 flights from Moscow and 158 from other regions are expected to land in the south. The expanded train services and adjusted flight schedules will provide more options for passengers. Russian Railways has assured travellers that capacity remains sufficient for the current demand. The changes take effect in the coming days.