Is it possible to send luggage by train without a passenger? Supply chain management.

Sending things by mail

When we have to send some things, we, without hesitation, go to the post office, buy a parcel box in which we pack them, then send them and receive a receipt for the services. The services are, to put it mildly, not cheap. Rates depend on distance and location. They are on the official website of the Russian Post.

But don’t let yourself be robbed, there is an opportunity to send things cheaper! This is the railway and sending things by LUGGAGE.

Sending items as cargo luggage via Russian Railways

You can only send items as cargo luggage from a station that has a luggage compartment. Unfortunately, not every station has it. But at a station in a large city there is a luggage compartment. You can quickly check the availability of a luggage compartment in any locality by entering its name into the form on the main page of the website http://www.rzdlog.ru/. If there is a luggage compartment at this station, then when you enter the name of the city in the form, a hint with the name will pop up; if there is no such department, then the entered name of the locality will be underlined with a red wavy line.

You can also look for the presence of a luggage compartment in the “Geography” subsection on the same main page of the site http://www.rzdlog.ru/. All luggage department offices will be marked with flags on the map. By clicking on the approximate city location flag, that search area will be expanded.

Here, on the main page, you can find out the preliminary price for sending items. To do this, you need to fill out the same form where you checked the availability of a luggage compartment in a populated area. The cost of additional services for the delivery of items by road from Russian Railways to the luggage compartment and from it to the recipient’s address will also be presented.

How to prepare items for shipping

Items are packed for shipment by train

To do this, all things, even if they are sent in boxes, must be lined. It is convenient to use polypropylene sugar bags as bags. Similar bags are sold in markets at around 15 rubles apiece, the most expensive ones. Turn the bag inside out so that the edge of the seam is inside, additionally pack things in boxes or plastic bags, sew the bags on your hands, be sure to tie with twine (keep tape, strong twine).

Cargo luggage is lined and strapped

Now you need to sign each bag. Only the recipient is indicated.

We write like this:

index;
city;
Street, house, flat;
last name, first name, patronymic of the recipient (phone number in brackets).

Label the bags legibly, in large print. A regular ballpoint pen will do, but not a gel pen!

Luggage must be checked into the station's baggage department on the day of departure of the baggage train in order to avoid paying for storage. We refused postal services to save money!

Upon arrival of the train at the destination station, the baggage department staff will contact the recipient using the phone number indicated on the luggage. It is advisable to receive the cargo within 24 hours, excluding the day of arrival. Otherwise you will have to pay for storage. The savings compared to mail are noticeable. Almost 3-4 times! The decision is yours.

PS. A year passed, and again I had to send cargo luggage, but the collection point at the railway station was closed. But a way out was found! Read the article, also take a look here -

Fortunately, Russian Railways offers to transport everything you need in a separate luggage compartment if you are traveling in the same train. This service is available on all long-distance trains in Russia.

It is not possible to use this service if the train is traveling to or from the Kaliningrad region.

If you are traveling in the same train with your luggage(that is, you accompany him), then you can take no more than 3 seats (in addition to the one you are taking with you in the compartment).

What they take:

Maximum dimensions one place according to the sum of measurements (length+width+height) – 180 cm.
Weight Limit one piece – 75 kg.
Per passenger– no more than 200 kg.

What is the cost of sending luggage by railway? The train price for one seat depends on the travel distance and the type of luggage.

Long-distance trains can transport cargo over any distance– from 1 to 12300 km.

For example, you need to transport a 50 kg suitcase, a kayak and a bicycle from Moscow to Yekaterinburg.

By rail between these cities there are 1670 km. We will calculate the approximate cost of railway transportation.

According to the Russian Railways tariff schedule, this is tariff zone 40, and you will have to pay:

RUB 236.9 for 1 place in the luggage compartment, that is, per suitcase;
RUB 355.4 kayak;
118.5 rub. for a bike.

The price is equal to bicycles: baby strollers, wheelchairs (except for paragraph 109 of the Russian Railways Transportation Rules), sports and hunting weapons and sports poles.

Where can I buy?

You can register and pay for the cost of railway transportation and transportation of luggage in the luggage compartment at the ticket office simultaneously with the purchase of a ticket or later. This also applies to e-ticket holders.

It’s another matter if for some reason you cannot follow with your suitcase. In this case, Russian Railways offers to send everything you need in the baggage car of a long-distance train.

This service is valid throughout Russia, except for the Kaliningrad region.

Allowable weight – from one kilogram, and accept it from both individuals and companies.

At the moment, baggage cars are part of fast trains that make regular routes from:

Moscow;
Nizhny Novgorod;
Kirov;
Perm;
Yekaterinburg;
Novosibirsk;
Krasnoyarsk;
Irkutsk;
Khabarovsk;
Vladivostok.

Currently, Russian Railways delivers goods to most major cities along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Delivery terms

Delivery times are the same as the train's transit time to your destination.

Moscow – Vladivostok – 7 days;
Moscow – Khabarovsk – 6 days;
Moscow – Chita, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk – 4 days;
Moscow – Novosibirsk – 2 days.

Transportation by rail - price

How much does 1 kg cost when transported by railway? Calculate estimated delivery cost You can use an online calculator.

There are additional services:

Cargo insurance.
Door-to-door service: what you need will be picked up from your home (or wherever it is convenient) and delivered to the specified address in the destination city).
Packaging (in boxes, film, lathing or on pallets).

If shipping is carried out by railway, the price also depends on the weight, volume and dimensions of the luggage. Your 50 kg suitcase will reach Yekaterinburg on its own for 750 rubles.

Unaccompanied shipment in a baggage car will cost more than in a baggage compartment accompanied by you.

However, there is a big advantage– the weight and dimensions of your cargo are limited only by the size and carrying capacity of the car itself.

That is, you can even transport a car, any furniture and as many packed boxes or suitcases as you like.

Sending a car

Special car-carrying wagons are provided for transporting cars..

This service is available on some domestic routes and on the Moscow – Helsinki route.

How to send by railway and what is the price of sending a car? More information about this service, its cost and registration methods can be found on the Russian Railways website.

What is cheaper - sending by train or by mail?

So, your luggage travels on its own. Are there any shipping options other than Russian Railways?(or rather, its subsidiary FPK-Logistics, which is engaged in sending cargo luggage in baggage cars)?

Eat. You can use the services of transport companies that operate in your region. Tariffs depend on the distance, weight and dimensions of the cargo.

The advantage is that the transport company can deliver your cargo to places where long-distance trains do not go (for example, part of the way the suitcase will travel by railway, and part by car of the transport company).

Another popular option is Russian Post. The post office will deliver your suitcase weighing 50 kg from Moscow to Yekaterinburg for 2892 rubles, which is almost 4 times more expensive than transporting it in a Russian Railways baggage car.

And it will take her 7 days to do this! We should not forget that these deadlines are often violated. In practice, your package may spend several weeks on the road and even get lost.

The conclusion is obvious: You can send very light parcels and letters by mail. For example, a parcel of 5 kg from Moscow to Yekaterinburg will arrive by mail for 356 rubles, however, in the same 7 days. Russian Railways will demand 500 rubles for the same parcel, however, it promises to deliver faster, in 2 days.

If the parcel weighs 9 kg, the cost of services of Russian Post and Russian Railways is the same - 500 rubles.

Starting from 10 kg it is more profitable and faster to send by train. See above for how much it costs to transport bags by rail.

You must pick up your cargo within 24 hours from the arrival of the train.(they will notify you about this by phone), otherwise you will have to pay for storage, and quite a lot.

Let's summarize. Transporting everything you need in the luggage compartment by rail (the price is calculated depending on the weight) is preferable only for large cities and only in Russia.

The biggest advantage of Russian Post is its omnipresence. There is a post office in almost every village. But long-distance trains do not pass everywhere.

The destination station must be able to receive and release cargo, and if a long-distance train passes by the village you need without stopping or stops just for a couple of minutes, then there is a chance that you will not be able to send your luggage to this station.

If you are sending more than 10 kg to a major city in the Russian Federation, through which long-distance trains pass, it is more profitable to send by train (the price of luggage on the train is above in the text) by rail.

If long-distance trains do not pass through your luggage’s destination or go without stops, or you are sending luggage abroad, you will have to use the mail - more expensive and longer, or a private transport company (more expensive).

ABOUT THE SERVICE

"RZD Express" is a service of JSC "RZD Logistics" for the delivery of small and consolidated consignments of cargo. We offer clients the optimal solution for sending cargo weighing from 20 kg by all modes of transport to anywhere in Russia, the CIS, including from/to China. The service coverage area includes more than 110 cities in the Russian Federation and the CIS, 46 cities in China, 7 in Europe, more than 11 thousand routes, and our geography is constantly expanding.

For the convenience of customers, a separate website for the Russian Railways Express service has been created. you can quickly calculate the cost of sending cargo, pay for its transportation online using a bank card, and track its current location throughout the entire delivery time.

Our services:

door-to-door delivery;
placing an order on the website or in;
comprehensive transport and logistics services 3PL, 4PL (for the delivery of small and consolidated consignments of cargo by rail, road, and air transport to the client’s door);
delivery of oversized, heavy and temperature-sensitive cargo;
packaging and labeling;
responsestorage;
loading and unloading operations;
consolidation, deconsolidation;
repackaging;
transshipment;
palletizing;
customs clearance;
daily dislocation of cargo along the route;
security at all stages of transportation;
insurance and freight forwarding;
transportation to hard-to-reach regions (including cars);
individual conditions for legal entities;
free hotline.

Delivery methods

Rail Jet- regular weekly import and export shipments of cargo in baggage cars along the route: P, accurate to the minute. This is a fundamentally new service for high-speed rail transportation of various goods, including e-commerce goods, on passenger trains.

Fast delivery method, speed - 900 km per day. Relevant for perishable products and cargo requiring special transportation conditions. Container and refrigerated trains are used.

Documentation

Questions and answers

Orders for sending small consignments (from 20 kg) are accepted by our Agents. You need to describe the cargo being sent - its weight and dimensions. If the cargo has a complex configuration, indicate the overall dimensions of the package. When concluding a transportation contract, you will receive an order form and an invoice, which can be paid through a bank (legal entities) or using an acquiring service (individuals).

After paying the invoice you will receive a package of documents:

Warehouse order (2 copies)

Entry pass (if necessary)

Forwarding receipt form (2 copies)

Barcodes for each piece of cargo

Marking sheets for each piece of cargo Marking sheets contain information about the shipper, consignee, cargo, piece number and total number of pieces. It also contains special marks for the cargo and a barcode for this location.

With these documents, the client delivers the cargo to the warehouse.

As soon as the cargo arrives at its destination and is unloaded, you will receive a notification from the Agent. The cargo awaits the recipient in a temporary storage warehouse, free of charge during the first three days, further storage is paid according to the warehouse tariffs.

Our Agent will give you the necessary package of documents:

Cargo release certificate (2 copies)

Warehouse order (2 copies)

Pass to enter the territory (if necessary)

According to these documents, the client receives the goods at the warehouse.

Types of packaging

Carton boxes

Choose a box that fits the contents. For example, incomplete boxes may break, overfilled boxes may come apart at the seams. Well sealed boxes are more durable. Boxes are suitable for transporting clothing and shoes, stationery and printed products, haberdashery, toys, souvenirs and accessories, medicines, finishing materials, tools, household goods and household chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics, as well as household and office equipment (irons, hair dryers, kettles, TVs , refrigerators, air conditioners, cartridges, etc.).

Lathing

Lattice boxes must have a durable structure that allows them to be stacked. Heavy boxes at the bottom must be equipped with wooden beams, allowing unloading and loading operations to be carried out using special equipment.

Such boxes are suitable for transporting haberdashery, toys, souvenirs and accessories, glass products (dishes, chandeliers and lamps, crystal products, etc.). They can also transport food, furniture, paintings, doors and window sills, liquids in plastic cans, plumbing fixtures, tiles, all types of equipment and spare parts, etc.

Bags

Bags made of dense materials are suitable for transporting valuable goods that are insensitive to dust, odors and moisture. Bags must close securely. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of spontaneous opening.

Items by rail can be transported in hand luggage (along with you) or in a luggage compartment (separately from you).

Hand luggage

Unlike on an airplane, you do not need to check in hand luggage for a train trip, nor do you need to pay for it. Baggage can be carried as hand luggage if it weighs no more than 36 kg and its size in the sum of 3 dimensions does not exceed 180 cm*. This norm is the same for reserved seat, compartment, seated carriages, trains, etc. In a double suite (SV), you can carry up to 50 kg** of luggage. According to the rules, in order to take additional hand luggage weighing up to 50 kg, you need to purchase another travel ticket.

In practice, little attention is paid to restrictions; the conductor will not measure or weigh your bag before boarding. But if you have several heavy-looking bags, you may be sent to the ticket office to pay for your luggage. It all depends on the specific conductor and the station workers who check the luggage.

In different types of carriages, luggage can be placed in different places:

In the compartment and SV - in the lockers of the lower shelves and a niche under the ceiling;
In the reserved seat - in the lockers of the lower shelves and on the third shelf;
In seated carriages, Sapsan and Lastochka - on luggage racks above the seats, in special luggage spaces inside the carriage.

You should not occupy all the luggage compartments with your belongings; other passengers will travel with you with their hand luggage. Passengers who have purchased a ticket for a lower berth have priority to the lower berth locker, while those traveling in an upper berth have priority to the upper berth.

Unlike on an airplane, you can carry any liquids on a train, including alcohol, based on the norm of 0.5 liters per person.

* Based on the sum of three dimensions (length + width + height). The dimensions are indicated for each bag (or suitcase) separately.

** Standard for the carrier JSC FPC. Weight may vary for other carriers' suites.

Special baggage in hand luggage

Bicycles, kayaks, snowboards, skis, and baby strollers can be carried in hand luggage, but only if they are disassembled and packed. It is most convenient to place the bike on the 3rd shelf in the reserved seat. It is better to lay it across two shelves, then it will definitely not fall while moving.

You can also take seedlings (if they are no more than 180 cm in height) with you into the carriage, just carefully tie off the rhizomes and crown. If the dimensions of the item exceed 180 cm in total, then for a small fee you need to issue a “Luggage in Hand” receipt at the cash desk.

Hunting and sporting weapons can be transported in hand luggage, but under special conditions. It must be in a case or holster, unloaded and separate from the cartridges.

All these things do not have to be placed on luggage racks; they can also be with you in the compartment - the main thing is that they do not interfere with other passengers. Hand luggage cannot be placed in aisles, corridors or vestibules.

Unlike ordinary bags, transportation of sports equipment will need to be paid at the ticket office at the station. This can be done at any time before the train departs.

If you have a lot of luggage, you should not board the train at the last minute to avoid making it difficult for other passengers to board. It is better to arrive early and carefully stow your luggage, leaving room for your neighbors.

For each piece of special baggage carried on the train, a fee is charged at the baggage rate in kilograms:

bicycle - 10 kg,
kayak (kayak) – 30 kg,
weapon - 10 kg.

Children's strollers, wheelchairs, as well as skis and snowboards can be transported on the train free of charge. No documents are required. Skis and snowboards must be covered, as sharp edges can cut the upholstery and injure other passengers.

Additional hand luggage

Additionally, you can carry another 50 kg of hand luggage on the train, but for an additional fee. If a child is traveling with you without a seat (under 5 years old), then the right to carry hand luggage does not apply to him.

You can transport household, video and audio equipment, regardless of whether the passenger has hand luggage, no more than one item per ticket. Equipment can exceed 180 cm in the sum of three dimensions. For each item, regardless of its weight, a baggage fee weighing 30 kg is charged. You will need to check out the item at the box office using a “baggage in hand” receipt.

If your household appliances fit into the 36 kg baggage allowance, then you do not need to check them in separately. The conductor will not force you to pay for your laptop or microwave.

Luggage compartment

If you want to carry more luggage, you need to check it in the luggage compartment. The luggage compartment is located in the headquarters car (ask the conductors where it is).

Up to 3 pieces of baggage are accepted per passenger, including children's tickets with a seat (from 5 to 10 years old). The dimensions of the place based on the sum of three dimensions (width, length and height) should be no more than 180 cm, weight - up to 75 kg. The total permissible weight of luggage per passenger is up to 200 kg.

You need to pay for the transportation of luggage in the luggage compartment at the ticket office at the station. This can be done either when purchasing a ticket at the box office, or later by presenting a printed boarding pass. Or just give the order number - these are the numbers at the beginning of the SMS about purchasing a ticket.

When boarding the train, present the baggage receipt along with your ticket to the conductor. Then check your luggage into the headquarters car, and you will receive your luggage there. You yourself will travel in your carriage as usual.

Each item checked in must be packed. Only baby strollers and wheelchairs do not need to be packed, as they may be needed immediately after unloading. Remember that you are responsible for the safety of your belongings when transported in the luggage compartment.

Oversized luggage

If the sum of three dimensions exceeds 180 cm, then it is considered oversized and is transported in a luggage compartment. The weight of one piece of oversized luggage must not exceed 75 kg. No more than 1 piece of large luggage is allowed per passenger. Luggage must fit through the doors. The dimensions of one piece of large luggage should not exceed 175 cm in height, 50 cm in width, and 45 cm in depth for a single-decker carriage. Large luggage cannot be transported in a double-decker carriage.

If the baggage does not meet these conditions, then the train director makes a note on the transportation document: “Transportation denied. Oversized”, signed and dated. Payments for large-sized baggage not accepted for transportation are returned in a claim procedure.

Car carrier

This is a specialized carriage that includes 3-4 passenger cars. It can also transport motorcycles. Such cars are available on a small number of routes: from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Helsinki, from Moscow and St. Petersburg in southern directions. The cost of the service varies depending on the route, on average - from 5 to 8 thousand rubles.

You can’t just bring your car to the train and immediately load the car into the carriage. You must first call Russian Railways OJSC and check the availability of the service on the train you are interested in. Then you need to submit an application by phone, through the Russian Railways website or at a special ticket office.

Transporting animals in luggage

Transportation of animals in the luggage compartment is possible only under special conditions that depend on the specific carrier. For more information, contact the ticket office at the station.

What to do if your luggage is lost

If you have lost (forgotten on the train or left it on the platform) hand luggage or baggage, immediately notify the train or station manager. Show your passport, ticket and baggage receipt.

If you need to take things with you on a trip that you cannot transport as hand luggage (weight, dimensions do not allow, or cannot be carried in a carriage), then you need to register them as baggage at an additional cost.

For one travel document you have the right to carry baggage total weight no more than 200 kg. Baggage is transported in the baggage car of the train. If there is no such carriage on your train, it will be sent by the nearest train that has such a carriage, or by a mail and baggage train.

In order for your items to be accepted as baggage, you must comply with the following conditions:

Your belongings should fit easily into the baggage car.
They must not cause damage to the luggage and luggage of others.
Each place should be packed and the packaging should ensure the safety of your belongings.
Wheelchairs, baby strollers and cribs, bicycles without a motor, car tires, etc. can be accepted without packaging.
Each location must have carrying facilities.
The weight of one must be no less than 10 kg and no more than 75 kg, the total weight of all places no more than 200 kg.
If the space is indivisible (refrigerator, gas stove, etc.), then no more than one such piece weighing no more than 165 kg can be carried per travel document.
The size of each of the three dimensions should not exceed 3 m.
If you are transporting plants or seedlings, then each piece should weigh no more than 25 kg and not exceed 200 cm in height.

What can you take as luggage on the train?

Any personal belongings, household items, furniture, equipment, if they meet the requirements for baggage transportation.
New empty gas cylinders for domestic use.
Food products (including perishable ones) are under the responsibility of the sender, because temperature conditions are not supported;
Wild animals with permission from the Ministry of Railways of Russia.
Small pets, dogs, birds, bees with veterinary certificates and without overload in transit.

It must be taken into account that the responsibilities of the railway do not include feeding them. Animals are accepted no more than an hour before train departure. They must be received no later than 12 hours after arrival. After this period, the railway has the right to sell them.

How to check in and receive luggage:

Baggage can be checked into the baggage compartment or directly into the baggage car. You can do this in advance by paying extra for storage. If you are traveling with transfers, then luggage on the train can only be issued up to the transfer station. As an exception, if you do not yet have a transfer from the point of transfer to your destination, your belongings can be accepted for departure to the final station at the baggage rate.

When checking in your luggage, you can declare its value - total or for each piece separately. In this case, you will need to pay the established fee. It is impossible to declare value for food products. If the declared value seems unjustified to station employees, they have the right to demand that the luggage be opened for inspection. If you refuse, the luggage can only be accepted without declaring its value.

Each piece of baggage on the train is marked with a special tag, you are given one or more baggage receipts, and a mark indicating the presence of baggage is placed on your travel document. If you check your luggage directly into the baggage car, then you will receive not a receipt, but a label. In this case, payment is made at the destination station after presenting the label.

If you have lost your baggage receipt, you can get your baggage by presenting an identification document and proving in any available way that the baggage belongs to you. They will give it to you against a receipt, in which you will have to indicate your details and place of residence.

The baggage delivery period is considered to be the travel time of the train (or trains) to which the baggage was sent to the destination station. If within 10 days after the end of the delivery period the luggage has not arrived at the destination station, it is considered lost. In case of delay in delivery, as well as in case of non-unloading of baggage, its sending on the wrong route, etc. due to the fault of the railway, all costs associated with the delivery of luggage to its destination or return to the sender are borne by the railway.

The railway also bears all costs for compensation in the event of shortage, damage or loss of luggage. If the luggage on the train was without a declared value, then losses are reimbursed for each kilogram of weight in accordance with the tariffs of the Ministry of Railways.