HOW TO CORRECTLY FILE A CLAIM AGAINST RZD

About company

OJSC Russian Railways (RZD) is the largest domestic railway carrier, a state-owned company, which is also the owner of the entire railway infrastructure of Russia. It was founded back in 2003, through the transformation of the Ministry of Railways and Communications. Based on the results of many years, it is one of the three largest transport corporations in the world. The total number of employees employed in the industry exceeds 700,000 people.

Do you want to communicate with representatives of the organization, are you concerned about issues of interregional, interdepartmental cooperation? We recommend contacting the contact center.

Where to apply

Your complaint or claim regarding poorly performed services may be sent to government control services. It is always necessary to start with Russian Railways itself, since most problems can be solved without involving third-party authorities. However, recently, due to the monopoly state of the transport services market, it may be necessary to involve third organizations in the proceedings.

Please remember that this only applies to complaints. If you file a claim against Russian Railways regarding damage to cargo or late delivery, after a refusal or delay in consideration, you can only contact the judicial authorities.

JSC Russian Railways

The company accepts written complaints in the following ways:

• You can send a registered letter to the address in Moscow with a printed copy of the complaint and copies of evidence-documents: st. Novaya Basmannaya, 2. Index: 107174;
• Also, if you are in the capital, you can bring the text of the complaint in person to the address: st. Novaya Basmannaya, 4-6 (building 16) . On one of the copies of the complaint, the Russian Railways office must put a mark of acceptance with the signature of the person who accepted it and the date;
• Online form at the Russian Railways reception on the website: https://www.rzd.ru/public-reception/public/ru?STRUCTURE_ID=383. You may need to log into your personal account, but if you do not have one, the system will ask you to fill out all the fields of the request;
• Management via the Internet at: https://www.rzd.ru/public-reception/public/ru?STRUCTURE_ID=5216. Here you can use the “Ask a Question” link next to the information about a specific authorized person.

Rospotrebnadzor

In the Russian Federation there is a separate department of this organization, which deals with offenses in the provision of railway services. It makes sense to contact us in case of any violation of your consumer rights - from the unacceptable condition of the train in a sanitary sense to a violation of financial relations with Russian Railways (refusal to return a ticket, for example).

The appeal should be submitted as follows:

• If it concerns sanitary issues - in person at the address in the capital: st. Dubininskaya, 17. Here, on certain days, citizens are received by experts in the field of epidemiological and sanitary surveillance;
• Verbally to the management hotline;
• Electronically by filling out the form here: https://urpngt.rospotrebnadzor.ru/about/priem-obrasheniy/Forma-obrashheniya.html.

The authority considers complaints for 30 days.

Transport prosecutor's office

You should contact us here if the management of Russian Railways does not answer your questions, but the offense was quite serious and concerned your rights and freedoms. The Transport Prosecutor's Office has the authority to conduct inspections of the activities of transport organizations and investigate crimes during the provision of services.

You need to contact the territorial office, from where your complaint can be transferred to the authority of the entire district (if the local authority does not have sufficient authority to conduct an inspection). This can be done in writing by mail or in person at an appointment at your department.

If you sent a complaint to the department working under the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, expect your appeal to be redirected to lower authorities (an additional 7 days for consideration). The Moscow Transport Prosecutor's Office accepts complaints at the following addresses:

• For letters and personal requests - st. Krasnoprudnaya, 22B;
• For online submission - https://www.mmtproc.ru/i-reception/

Territorial contacts should be sought on the websites of local transport prosecutors' offices.

Goszheldornadzor

A division of Rostransnadzor deals with complaints about insufficient train safety. Also, here you can send a request for investigations into various incidents on the railway (office crimes, deaths, etc.). Appeals can be submitted in the following ways:

• Through electronic channels: https://railway.rostransnadzor.ru at the point in the form for accepting citizens’ appeals, where it will be necessary to indicate railway transport and the name of the authority;
• To the bodies of UGZDN (territorial departments of the authority) in regions and cities. Contacts can be found on the Rostransnadzor website. Central portal: https://cugzdn.tu.rostransnadzor.ru.

Court

It makes sense to contact the courts in cases where JSC Russian Railways did not consider your complaint/claim or refused to satisfy your demands. You have the right to go to court within a year from the moment the dispute arises. The claim is drawn up in the same way as a complaint, and during the trial, documents are provided that confirm your words, as well as the testimony of witnesses.

The court will conduct its review of Russian Railways' actions and make its decision depending on the validity of the claim and your requirements.

Russian Railways hotline

A single hotline has been launched in Russia especially for passengers and partners.

Private and legal persons can call by telephone. Calls are free from all landline and mobile devices within the Russian Federation.

In addition, there is also a separate telephone number for calls from abroad: +7 (499) 605 20 00. You can call both in Moscow and from other countries. The cost of the call will depend on the conditions of your operator.

How to write a complaint?

Service problems? It’s better to file a complaint and explain what’s going on so that something like this doesn’t happen in the future. To complain about employees you can use:

• Mobile app.
• Hotline number.
• Tab on the site.
• Email.

Complaints are reviewed within 24 hours. You can leave a complaint or claim by calling the hotline in free form. When sending a written email, you should adhere to the format, making sure to fill out all the “fields” of the form:

• FULL NAME.
• Address.
• Contact information (telephone, email address).
• Subject of the appeal.
• The essence of the problem.

How to write to support?

Despite the wide choice of contact numbers, some passengers and partners prefer to discuss issues electronically. To improve communication, the following methods of communication were proposed:

1. Sending letters by email
2. Exchange of information through the “Virtual Reception” tab - https://company.rzd.ru/ru/9265.
3. Sending comments on social networks (VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram).

To promptly answer questions asked, applicants must adhere to certain recommendations:

• Attach photos, videos.
• Please check your name and contacts.
• Choose a topic and reasons.

This will make it easier for support specialists to understand the issue.

Also, do not forget that you can communicate with Russian Railways support in your personal account. Read about this in detail below.

How to register and submit a claim

A written complaint must be drawn up with the obligatory indication of the applicant’s personal data, his actual residential address, as well as a contact telephone number.

At the same time, the text of the appeal itself should not be filled with emotional load. It is important to briefly and clearly state specific facts and indicate the names and positions of the persons who violated the passenger’s rights.

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The applicant must also indicate the main details of the conflict situation, the time and date of the incident, without indicating personal conjectures and conclusions. Directly below the text of the claim, the date of its preparation and the signature of the person acting as the applicant are indicated.

Social media

You can write to the support service through social networks:

• VKontakte: https://vk.com/rzd_official.
• Odnoklassniki: https://ok.ru/group/52571620376641.
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/rzd.official.
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rzd_official.
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rzd_official.
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCyuN0E5XOwbUItO77JwteFQ.

Reasons for complaints against Russian Railways

There are several reasons why a person has the right to appeal to the management of Russian Railways or to higher government bodies with a complaint.
Typically, the main reason is physical or psychological abuse of the passenger during the trip. Every person traveling by this type of transport must remember that the carrier is the insurer who is responsible for the safety of the trip and the safety of all transported items.

What you need to know

Most of the complaints received by Russian Railways relate to the inappropriate attitude of conductors towards passengers.
Since a person only contacts this representative of the company, it is by him that he evaluates the service. If a passenger makes a claim due to a minor incident, then you can contact the regional representative office of the company. The complaint is made to the head of this department.

If desired, a person can contact the Moscow central office to resolve his issue.

Charter of the Russian Railways

When drawing up a complaint against Russian Railways, a person must be guided by the requirements of the Railway Charter - a special regulatory act approved in 003. This document contains the following information:

1. Main functions of roads;
2. Rules by which cargo and luggage must be transported;
3. Rules for joint work between the balance holder and carrier companies;
4. Rules governing the use of railway infrastructure that has a special purpose;
5. Principles of cargo transportation;
6. Rules for the carriage of passengers;
7. The degree of responsibility for each of the transportation participants;
8. Procedure for filing claims.

For what cases is support needed?

The help of call center employees may be needed in various circumstances:

• Search for routes, tickets.
• Clarification of the schedule for passenger flights.
• Selection of places.
• Search for cash registers.
• Explanation of the rules for carrying baggage and accompanying children.
• Exchange, purchase or return of tickets.
• Reservation.

By contacting the company's employees, passengers can express a complaint or, conversely, leave feedback on the quality of the services received.

Where to complain about Russian Railways?

By writing a complaint to the management of Russian Railways, the user can indicate poor-quality conditions of transportation, acceptance and delivery of baggage, the imposition of an unlawful fine, and other conflict situations.

The passenger has the right to demand that measures be taken to eliminate the described negative phenomenon or to punish a specific employee of the road company.

After drawing up a complaint indicating violations, the citizen must send the document to one of the following places:

1. Regional department of a transport enterprise, which is present in every subject of Russia with railway connections.
2. The head office of a joint stock company located in the capital of the country.

Local branches of the Ministry of Railways are located at the station or adjacent buildings.

Telephone numbers for complaints

The existing Russian Railways hotline for letters and complaints allows you to quickly contact us by telephone with your proposal or complaint. The operator takes calls around the clock, but passengers should not expect any immediate action.

There is a special hotline for railway employees, where a road worker can complain about a violation of labor laws in relation to him.

Russian Railways website

The joint stock company has an official information resource where consumers have the right to write a complaint to the management of Russian Railways via the Internet. The portal is a potential reception area where you can write an application to the claims department of a road company in an interactive form.

Scanned copies of accompanying documents serving as confirmation of the claim should be attached to the website. After filling out the form correctly, the client should click the “Submit” icon.

Step-by-step instructions for filing a complaint via the website

On the official website of Russian Railways, the client can submit a complaint online.

In the form provided, you must provide the following information:

1. Full name of the sender.
2. Region of origin of non-compliance with the rules.
3. Status of a citizen or legal entity.
4. Name of the organization receiving the claim.
5. Select the type of complaint.
6. State the essence of the complaint.

Using the Russian Railways website, you can contact the management, where there is a list of officials of the management apparatus. The “Ask a question” icon located next to each name will allow any employee to file an electronic complaint.

Complaint to the transport prosecutor's office against Russian Railways

After a serious violation or lack of action on the part of the railway management, the injured citizen has the right to contact the transport prosecutor's office. The body supervises compliance with the law on the road, conducts inspections, and investigates illegal actions in transport.

JSC Russian Railways

At the head office of the enterprise there is a department for act and claims work on state railway transport.

You can contact the Complaints Unit using the following methods:

• call the company's hotline;
• filling out a specialized form online;
• personal visit to the institution.

But you should contact the call center operators if you receive any reference information. A company representative can accept a complaint, but if it is too serious, you should contact it in person, via an electronic complaint or in writing through Russian Post.

Anonymously received complaints containing obscene expressions and slang will not be considered.

Goszheldornadzor

The structure of the road inspection is a division of Rostransnadzor. You can complain to the state Zhelnadzor about violations of fire safety rules and safety in the carriage.

A citizen has the right to request an official investigation to establish the classification of the incident. On the official resource of the railway supervision structure, you must resort to the “Electronic form for filing complaints.”

Here the user fills in personal information and reflects the essence of the complaint.

Next, you need to follow the algorithm:

• in the “Subject of Appeal” section, select “Railway Transport”;
• Click on the name of the central body - “Department of State Railway Supervision”.

A citizen has the right to contact the territorial department - UGZDN. Addresses and contact details of departments are located on the official service platform of Rostransnadzor.

Complaint to the FAS against Russian Railways

The country's Federal Antimonopoly Committee exercises control over compliance with legislation in the field of procurement of goods, works, services, to ensure state, regional and local needs.

A passenger has the right to complain about excess expenditure of funds by a certain road entity.

The application to the FAS is completed as follows:

1. Full name of the individual applicant, place of residence or name and address of the legal entity.
2. The organization in respect of which the petition was submitted.
3. List of violations of antimonopoly acts, links to orders.
4. Applicant requirements.
5. Written facts.
6. A list of attached documents or an indication of the person who can submit them.
7. Additional, in the passenger's opinion, information.

The complaint is considered no more than 30 calendar days. However, the study may take an additional period, of which the applicant must be notified. After this, the latter is given an answer about the initiation of a criminal case or refusal.

Complaint to Rospotrebnadzor

The Railways Department of Rospotrebnadzor accepts complaints regarding the sanitary and hygienic situation of passengers and epidemiological safety.

You can appeal to the authority in the following ways:

• call the operator on the telephone line;
• personally visit the institution;
• fill out the proposed special form on the portal.

Complaint to court

It is recommended to resort to the courts if the Russian Railways management refused to satisfy the applicant’s claim. This includes a violation of the procedure for considering complaints - a delay in rendering a verdict for a month. The claim is filed no later than one current year after the commission of unlawful acts or violations by a railway employee.

How to file a complaint?

Not satisfied with the quality of services or the work of the conductors on a particular flight?

Passengers can report their complaints.

You can write a complaint:

• by email;
• in your personal account;
• in social networks.

Russian railways on the map of Moscow — Yandex.Maps

For some time now, call center operators have also been handling complaints. Provide details and expect reactions from employees.

Options for filing a complaint

There are several ways to complain about Russian Railways or the actions of individual employees of this company:

• by drawing up a written complaint and sending it to the Russian Railways reception;
• through an appeal to Goszheldornadzor;
• by initiating proceedings by the transport prosecutor's office of the Russian Federation;
• sending a complaint to the Rospotrebnadzor service responsible for monitoring railway transport;
• through filing a lawsuit.

Each of the listed methods differs not only in its effectiveness, but also in the speed of response to the filed complaint. Therefore, you need to take a closer look at each of them in order to understand where exactly you need to write a claim when specific cases arise.

Russian Railways

All written complaints to Russian Railways must be sent to the address: 107174, Moscow, Novaya Basmannaya street, building 2.

You can also use the carrier’s online service to contact the company’s virtual reception desk. Filing a complaint through this web service is very simple; to do this, you need to provide the following information:

• personal data of the person making the claim;
• region of residence;
• client status (shipper or passenger);
• select the type of complaint;
• describe in detail the essence of the existing complaint.

You can also call the customer support line to provide details of the identified problem.

Goszheldornadzor

Write a complaint about the work of Russian Railways to Goszheldornadzor, in case of detection of violations regarding fire safety in the cabin of a train or electric train, as well as to initiate an official investigation in the event of an incident on the railway.

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Such an appeal can be made using the official website of the public service by filling out the “Electronic application form”.

Transport prosecutor's office

If the violation on the part of Russian Railways or an employee of this company was of a serious nature and the management of the transport service did not take any measures, you can contact the transport prosecutor of the Russian Federation for help.

The activities of employees of the transport prosecutor's office are aimed at ensuring conditions for compliance with current legislation in the field of transport.

An appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office is allowed only if the lower levels of the transport prosecutor's office refuse to respond to a complaint filed by a passenger.

Rospotrebnadzor Department for Railway Transport

There are several ways to send a request to Rospotrebnadzor:

• by calling the telephone service at 8-499-623-3604;
• by personal contact with specialists of sanitary and epidemiological supervision and the passenger traffic control service at the address: Moscow, Dubninskaya street, building 17, office 10;
• To save time, you can also fill out an electronic form on the official website of the organization.

It is recommended to first prepare the text of a written complaint when contacting Rospotrebnadzor employees in person.

Court

It makes sense to complain to the court only if representatives of Russian Railways have not reacted in any way or rejected it within 30 days from the date of filing the complaint.

In such a situation, you will need to file a lawsuit, but no later than one year after the incident. It is also recommended to attach to such a claim a copy of the appeal to Russian Railways and other regulatory authorities, along with the available documentary and material evidence.