Passenger Safety

Rail Traffic Safety

With account taken of the service providers involved in the maintenance of railway rolling stock, the 2023 target indicator of traffic safety for JSC FPC was improved by 29% and amounted to 0.0024 adverse events per 1 million train‑km of the parent company with a target of 0.0034 maximum.

The positive changes were the results of methodical effort in management of traffic safety‑related processes:

• Implementation of FPC’s Programme of Measures to Reduce the Frequency of Traffic Incidents and Accidents and the Severity of Their Consequences, and to Achieve the Set Targets for Traffic Safety
• Implementation of the Consolidated Action Plan to improve the reliability of technical facilities and reduce the number of technological disturbances and their impact on the transportation process at JSC FPC
• Continued expansion of the annual scope of activities of structural units responsible for technical audits of operating processes and production examinations
• Adoption of digital capabilities and technologies in traffic safety
• Maintenance of staff competencies through training, professional development and mentoring

The programme’s scope:

• Purchase and delivery of materials and fire protection equipment worth RUB 53.51 million, including fire extinguishers, personal respiratory and visual protection equipment, tools, etc.
• Measures to ensure compliance with statutory and mandatory fire safety requirements with total costs of over RUB 14.44 million, including:
  • Fireproofing
  • Tests of escape ladders and roof railings
• Assignment of explosive and fire hazard classes to premises following the Electric Installation Guidelines
• Joint fire prevention measures for FPC’s rolling stock and stationary facilities, under the contractual obligations with Federal State Enterprise “Departmental Protection of Railway Transport of the Russian Federation”, for a total amount of over RUB 63.29 million

In 2023, no accidents or incidents were reported at hazardous industrial facilities of FPC.

The following was completed:

In 2023, under the Renewal of Industrial Safety Facilities project of the investment programme, JSC FPC replaced equipment at hazardous facilities that reached the end of its standard service life for RUB 57.049 million. A total of 24 projects were implemented under this programme.

In line with Federal Law No. 225‑FZ dated 27 July 2010 “On Compulsory Insurance of Civil Liability of the Owner of a Hazardous Facility for Inflicting Damage as a Result of an Accident at the Hazardous Facility”, all JSC FPC’s hazardous facilities are insured.

Transport security units are the front‑line tool of protection engaged by JSC FPC to protect its passenger trains from acts of unlawful interference. The Company has current contracts with this service until 2025.

FPC JSC’s efforts in ensuring transport security are aligned with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 757 dated 19 October 2022 “On measures taken in constituent entities of the Russian Federation in connection with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 756 dated 19 October 2022”, which establishes the average level of response in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov Regions, as well as the Krasnodar Territory. All FPC passenger trains running to the above regions are escorted by transport security units. The spending on such units in 2023 totalled RUB 1.4 billion.

Another crucial security‑related component involves a set of measures to protect FPC’s facilities, comply with entry and internal security regimes at the enterprises, and ensure the safety of property. The Company’s 74 facilities are subject to 24/7 security ensured by 507 guard posts. Last year costs on providing security at JSC FPC’s facilities totalled RUB 0.7 billion.

In 2023, FPC JSC continued to certify employees as units of transport security forces. This kind of certification has been done every year since 2017. In total, the certification covered more than 2,400 employees directly involved in ensuring transport security, most of whom are train managers and passenger car attendants responsible for ensuring transport security on passenger trains. In 2023, over 1,000 employees of JSC FPC underwent transport safety certification, which is a record number for the last seven years.

Violations of the rules of traffic safety and operation of rail transport are considered and investigated in accordance with Order of the Russian Ministry of Transport No. 344 dated 18 December 2014.

Provision of safety and security of passengers, seers‑off and other persons

Before train departure all passenger carriages undergo maintenance and inspection of their compliance with traffic and fire safety requirements. In addition, all carriage spaces and undercarriage equipment are checked for absence of foreign objects. Technological recesses, hatches are sealed.

Passengers board the train only upon presentation of valid travel documents and identity documents. Seers‑off are allowed into carriages only if the passengers they are seeing off confirm their status. Entraining and detraining of passengers are only permitted within the passenger platform.

If suspicious persons or items prohibited for carriage are detected, the attendant of the passenger train shall call the passenger train manager, who shall bring in police officers or transport security officers if necessary.

When en route, the train crew personnel controls the technical condition of the carriages and compliance with fire safety requirements, does not allow passengers to exit when the train is moving or make sure that passengers or unauthorised persons do not ride on footsteps and other inappropriate places. If unlawful actions are detected en route, the train crew shall immediately call transport security officers and police officers to take action against the offenders. If there are no police officers on the train, they shall be called in at the nearest station where there is a transport police unit.

After a passenger gets off the train, the attendant checks the berths/seats they occupied to make sure that they did not leave anything behind. If prohibited items or substances are found (identified), the attendant of the passenger carriage shall inform the passenger train manager, who notifies the duty services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Federal Security Service of Russia. In this instance as well as in the event of a fire, the passengers are to be evacuated.

In case of illness or injury of passengers, train crew members administer first aid, including with the involvement of medical personnel from among passengers, call medical personnel at the nearest railway station where a medical centre is available, and if necessary – an ambulance crew, including with a non‑scheduled stop of the train.

To ensure safety, the carriages are equipped with equipment diagnostics systems, fire alarm system, water fire extinguishing system, and video surveillance system. The compartment doors in first‑class sleeping carriages are fitted with electronic locks. Passenger carriage attendants can use the portable terminal to remotely monitor the heating of axle box units and fire alarms, sound an alarm, and, if necessary, call the train electrician, the passenger train manager or the train police.