Trains usually have a relatively short route, which means that the cost of a ticket for them is relatively low. At the same time, commuters usually use them regularly, so various discounts can be a very profitable offer. If you often travel on suburban trains with children, you can save on your little fellow travelers.
How old is travel free?
You don't have to pay for a small child at all. This rule applies if the accompanying adult can documentarily confirm that the baby not yet 5 years old. At the same time, it should be noted that if a suburban train has numbered places, and a child, albeit under 5 years old, occupies a separate such place, then a ticket for him will still cost money - albeit at a special, child fare.
According to the rules, one accompanying adult cannot carry more than one baby under five years old for free - this right is granted only to one of them, while for all the others, you will still have to issue paid tickets.
By the way, even if such a child travels for free, he will still need to issue a ticket, but he will not have to pay for it.
How old do you need to buy a child ticket?
It all depends on what conditions the baby will ride on. If, for some reason, he occupies a separate seat in the carriage where the numbering of seats is provided, then he will need a paid child ticket even if he was born literally today. After reaching the age of five, the child can no longer travel for free - he needs to buy a child ticket, which provides significant discounts depending on the specific region and the distance that is planned to be covered.
Of all the types of Russian Railways trains, the most stringent conditions for traveling at a child fare are in electric trains.
The last date on which a child can go on a train trip on a child ticket is the day on which the little passenger celebrates his own seventh birthday.
Design features
The Russian Railways Administration does not make any special requirements for those who want to issue a child ticket for a child on a commuter train. To do this, it is enough to present the baby's Russian birth certificate, which will confirm that the passenger is under 7 years old.
Until this age, an adult accompanying person is required, but there are no restrictions as to who this is.
This person is not even necessarily a small relative - he can be his teacher or coach. In other words, no additional documents are needed to transport a child, except for his birth certificate.
Rules for transporting children on trains
Briefly, the rules for transporting children on trains can be summarized in a few simple sentences:
- If the child is already 7 years old, then he is already traveling at an adult fare - unless he confirms that he is entitled to certain benefits. The logic of the administration is that a passenger, albeit a very small one, traveling on an adult ticket, no longer needs compulsory accompaniment of an adult.
- Children under 7 years old can travel on commuter trains with a child ticket - either with a discount or free of charge at all, but strictly accompanied by an adult. In this case, a travel document is issued in any case.
- If a passenger takes a separate seat, then it doesn't matter how old he is - the ticket will be paid in any case. You can travel free of charge strictly up to five years, and only on condition that a separate seat is not required.
- The only document required to purchase a child train ticket - a passenger's birth certificate issued on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Travel benefits
Children over 7 years old, purchasing an adult ticket, still in most cases claim certain benefits that allow them to somewhat reduce the cost of travel. Usually, these benefits are related to the fact that the child gets to school or home from school - there is a time frame. These benefits are not valid during summer holidays.
However, it is impossible to give exact numbers, be it the dates of the benefits or the extent of discounts, and even clearly list the categories of minors who are entitled to travel on preferential terms.
The reason is that the benefits are covered by local administrations, and in each region, the conditions for reduced travel, determined by this subject of the federation, differ. At the same time, in general, the benefits are relevant for students of any general education or special schools, as well as students of military educational institutions.
School ticket
A special document that gives the right to discounts when traveling on suburban trains is a school ticket. This is a special certificate of the established form, confirming that a certain person is really a student of a particular school in a given academic year (date is required). At the same time, the school that issued the document must indicate in it all its details, including the exact address, and the paper itself is supported by the school seal and the director's signature. This solution allows you to travel with discounts up to 14 years.
Discount travel for adolescents over 14 years old is provided for students of military schools according to a similar scheme, but they will no longer need a certificate, but a more serious form of document - a certificate of entitlement to benefits.
Refundable and non-refundable tickets
In some cases, it is possible to purchase tickets for suburban trains, divided into categories of returnable and non-returnable. A returnable travel document costs a little more, but it can be returned without any problems at any time - provided that the train has not yet departed. This is a good option for those who are planning a trip and are afraid that all tickets will be taken apart, but are not yet completely sure that they will travel on a specific date.
A non-refundable ticket costs less, but is only suitable for those who are sure that they will travel as planned. It is almost impossible to return such a ticket - this will only work in case of documentary confirmation of a force majeure that interferes with the planned trip - for example, an accident happened or a potential traveler suddenly fell ill.
The practice of dividing tickets into returnable and non-returnable ones is usually not very applicable to suburban trains, especially to children's tickets for them.
It is possible to meet such a thing only if the train (despite its suburban status) has a rather lengthy route and numbering of seats in the cars. Since the presence or absence of benefits is determined by local authorities, the specifics of the return of preferential train tickets must also be learned locally, since there are no uniform all-Russian rules for this case.
