MOSCOW, September 20 (Itar-Tass) —— The Federal Passenger Company carried 39.1 million passengers on its long-distance trains during June-August 2012, which is 1.5 percent more than in the same period last year.
The Federal Passenger Company is a subsidiary of Russian Railways.
Passenger turnover in the three months amounted to 44.1 billion passenger-kilometres, up 2.7 percent compared to June-August 2011, Russian Railways said.
The greatest number of passengers – 458,100 – travelled on Federal Passenger Company trains on August 17.
In order to handle the increased passenger demand during summer 2012, 102 additional trains were laid on and made 411 journeys, up on the 98 extra trains and 344 journeys during the same period last year.
In the three summer months this year, the Federal Passenger Company carried 3.435 million passengers to the Black Sea resorts of the North Caucasus, 3 percent more than last year. The greatest growth in passenger numbers compared to 2011 was to Anapa (up 11 percent) and Adler and Sochi (up 4 percent).
In the opposite direction, that is returning from the North Caucasus resorts, the Federal Passenger Company carried 3.318 million passengers, an increase of 5 percent from the summer of 2011.
The 21 trains the Federal Passenger Company laid on to the Crimea carried out 184 journeys, 88 more than last year. 32 runs more than in 2011were laid on just for routes from Moscow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Evpatoria. Passenger numbers to the Crimea increased by 4.5 percenmt compared to last year.
In addition, two new trains from Belgorod to the Crimea were laid on in July 2012 to handle additional passenger demand: No. 429/430 Belgorod - Simferopol, which runs every other day on even dates, and No. 425/426 Belgorod - Yevpatoria, which runs every other day on even dates.
The Federal Passenger Company continuously monitors seat sales on trains and when necessary, either quickly increased the number of carriages in the trains or laid on additional services, RZD said.