In accordance with Russia’s obligations to FIFA to organise free travel between the host cities of the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, all spectators who have valid tickets to a match or a voucher for a match ticket, should be able to move free of charge by rail between the host cities of matches. Spectators will be carried by special additional trains, which will arrive in the host cities in the morning of the day of a match and return after the match. The mechanism of financing the Transport Directorate of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia has been established for these purposes.
The document was introduced by the Ministry of Transport in order to implement Federal Law No 108-FZ of 7 June 2013, On Organising and Holding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Russia (further – Federal Law No 108-FZ), and the Transport Strategy for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia (approved by the Russian Government Directive No 2858-r of 27 December 2016).
In accordance with Russia’s obligations to FIFA to organise free travel between the host cities of the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, all spectators who have valid tickets to a match or a voucher for a match ticket, should be able to travel free of charge on long-distance trains between the host cities of matches.
Federal Law No 266-FZ of 3 July 2016 amended Federal Law No 108-FZ, which provides for free travel for sports spectators on special trains running between the host cities of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the routes of sports competitions and within the seat limits established by the Ministry of Transport.
Federal Law No 108-FZ stipulates that the Russian Government shall determine how free travel for spectators on competition routes by additional trains will be financed from the federal budget.
The signed resolution approved the regulations governing this process (hereinafter – the Regulations).
The Regulations stipulate that free travel will be financed from budget allocations to the Ministry of Transport under the Development of the Transport System state programme, to provide subsidies to the autonomous non-profit organisation Transport Directorate of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia (hereinafter the Transport Directorate – 2018). In 2017, 858.472 million roubles will be allocated from the federal budget for these purposes.
Subsidies will be provided for:
- Transportation of spectators in additional trains on match routes;
- Creation and implementation of an information system for providing free travel by rail in additional trains that ensures spectators exercise their right to free travel on match routes on additional trains, including the ability to choose the match route, book seats, and obtain/cancel boarding passes for travel on additional trains online;
- Efforts to inform spectators about how to exercise their right to free travel by rail on additional trains, including at railway stations.
In order to specify the types of free transport, the Ministry of Transport together with the Ministry of Sport developed a concept of implementing the obligations concerning free rail travel between the host cities. In particular, it is stipulated that modern comfortable trains will be used for long-distance trips. Visitors will arrive in a host city on a special train in the morning of the day of a match and come back after the match.