Russian Railways (RZD) has announced a postponement in the implementation of biometric boarding for long-distance trains. According to Evgeny Charkin, Deputy General Director of the company, passengers will still need to present their passports for boarding, both currently and after September 1st.
Charkin clarified that while Russian legislation, effective September 1st, 2025, allows for the use of biometrics for boarding, provided the carrier has the technical capabilities, RZD is not yet ready for a full-scale rollout.
“As part of our joint work with the Ministry of Digital Development and the Federal Security Service, we are currently testing this capability. We view biometrics as an additional option to the existing boarding procedure. Therefore, we advise our passengers to continue carrying their passports to board trains without issues. This will become operational later,” Charkin stated at the international railway exhibition “PRO//Motion.Expo,” when asked about the launch timeline.
According to Charkin, the biometric boarding system will only be launched once its flawless operation is confirmed and all risks associated with the technology are eliminated. “Once everything is thoroughly tested, and all questions have been answered, we will then consider the possibility of implementing and scaling this technology,” he added.
Charkin also confirmed that an official announcement would be made regarding the full launch of the technology.
It`s worth noting that the Russian government previously authorized the use of biometrics for ticket issuance and train boarding starting September 1st, 2025, contingent on the carrier`s technical readiness.
In March of this year, Charkin had reported on closed-mode testing of biometric boarding. He emphasized that a public launch requires addressing several critical issues related to regulatory frameworks, passenger data security, and passenger comfort. According to him, RZD is actively developing the necessary regulatory base and technical solutions for integrating biometrics into the railway sector.
