Russian Railways (RZhD) aims to offer suburban train tickets via the national messaging app "Max" across the entire railway network in 2026. The company announced it will expand the geographical coverage after ensuring the service operates seamlessly.
RZhD launched the first ticket sales via "Max" in the Novosibirsk region in March 2026, and later expanded the service to several other regions. The company had previously mentioned plans to scale the service to all suburban companies but had not provided a timeline.
According to the new statement, the Moscow transport hub will be excluded because it uses a different sales system. RZhD also emphasized that a comprehensive analysis will be conducted before the decision to expand across the network.
How to buy a ticket?
Passengers can go to the @bilet_na_elektrichku_bot bot within "Max" or use the relevant link to select the date, departure and arrival stations, train, and ticket type, then pay by bank card. The QR code obtained is used by showing it at turnstiles or to the conductor on the train.
The service currently operates in the service areas of the suburban companies "Ekspress-prigorod", "Omsk-prigorod", "Kuzbass-prigorod", "Altay-prigorod", "Krasprigorod" and "Severo-Zapadnaya PPK" in the Novosibirsk, Omsk, Kemerovo, Altai, Krasnoyarsk regions, as well as St. Petersburg, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, Murmansk oblasts and Karelia.
RZhD also stated that with the launch of ticket sales via "Max", all existing sales channels such as mobile apps, suburban ticket offices, self-service terminals, and location-based payment will be preserved.
