Russian Railways to lease station spaces for hotels and rest areas nationwide

Russian Railways (RZD) is launching a new project to improve passenger services at stations nationwide. The company plans to lease out spaces for hotels and rest areas, aiming to bring in a professional hospitality partner through an open auction process. The initiative involves leasing around 45,000 square metres of space across 64 cities, including major transport hubs and smaller locations. The assets up for lease range from annexes and ticket booth pavilions to administrative buildings at various stations. RZD expects the project to generate annual revenues of 90 to 200 million rubles ($1–2.2 million), depending on the auction results.

An open auction will ensure a transparent and market-driven selection of the partner. The lease agreements will run for up to five years, with a total estimated monthly rent of 23.9 million rubles ($260,000). This move comes as RZD looks to boost non-core revenue streams after reporting a sharp decline in net profit for 2025. Last year, the company’s net profit under IFRS dropped 22-fold to 2.3 billion rubles ($25 million). Despite this, freight transport revenue rose by 8% to 2.6 trillion rubles, while passenger services grew by 13% to 473 billion rubles.

The project aims to enhance passenger comfort and generate additional income for RZD. If successful, the new hospitality services could become a regular feature at stations across Russia. The auction process will determine the final terms and revenue potential for the company.