Biodiversity conservation
GRI 304–2, 304–3
In 2024, Russian Railways continued carrying out biodiversity conservation projects, including awareness raising initiatives, aimed at protecting rare and endangered species listed in the Red Book.
Green spaces
Annual participation of Company employees and their families in various campaigns and clean‑up days – during which we plant trees and shrubs while cleaning up urban territories and waterfronts – has become a cherished tradition. In total, we planted more than 420,000 seedlings in 2024.
Green Trains and awareness raising for passengers
As part of our environmental awareness raising work and passenger engagement in environmental matters, Green Trains operate throughout Russian Railways. These specially designed trains feature thematic styling and are equipped with environmental audio and video materials. We display educational posters about our environmental activities, specially protected natural areas, and images of cartoon eco‑pupils (defenders of nature) on trains and infrastructure facilities.
Throughout 2024, we conducted a comprehensive information and awareness raising campaign at railway stations. We broadcast environmental audio and video clips, organised exhibitions (including photo exhibitions and children’s drawing exhibitions), and installed stands and posters dedicated to the environment and nature protection.
- At the Tyumen station (Sverdlovskaya Railway), we collaborated with the Green Round Dance public environmental movement to install an art object for collecting plastic caps.
- At several Trans‑Baikal Railway stations – Chita‑2, Petrovsky Zavod, Borzya, Zabaikalsk and Chernyshevsk – we installed ten awareness raising stands showcasing specially protected natural areas: Alkhanay National Park, Chikoy National Park, Sokhondo Nature Reserve and Daursky Nature Reserve. We also held photo exhibitions titled Amazing Wetland World of Dauria and Multi‑faceted Dauria at the Chita‑2 station, celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Daursky Nature Reserve.
- At the Voronezh, Belgorod, Lipetsk, and Kersanov stations of the South‑Eastern Railway, we showcased videos highlighting the unique nature of the Divnogorye museum‑reserve.
- In Moscow (Yaroslavsky and Paveletsky stations) and St Petersburg (Baltiysky and Ladozhsky stations), we organised environmental photo exhibitions – Ecology Matters for Everyone and Immersion in Nature.
- At the Astrakhan station of the Privolzskaya Railway, we simultaneously organised six environmental master classes in September 2024.
- At the Novosibirsk‑Glavny station of the West‑Siberian Railway, we showcased drawings from the international prize titled Ecology Matters for Everyone.
Educational programmes for children and youth
Russian Railways consistently develops initiatives that foster environmental responsibility in children and youth while actively involving them in environmental projects and actions.
Students from Russian Railways educational institutions actively participated in international, all‑Russian and regional events, including:
- International Children and Youth Prize titled Ecology Matters for Everyone (more than 1,400 student applications submitted in 2024);
- All‑Russian Children’s Environmental Forum;
- 15th International Environmental School at Lake Baikal;
- Eco‑Pupils programmes: Pre‑Schoolers, Eco‑Pupils, and Eco‑Pupils, Young Defenders of Nature programmes.
In 2024, we created 144 children’s corners with Eco‑Pupils themes at railway stations as part of our educational programmes.
Through the All‑Russian relay called Eco‑Pupils Train, approved at the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress, we conducted eight stages in 2024. Activities included the Days of Eco‑Pupils, competitions and actions implemented at venues throughout our network.
Action Team project
Our Environmental Action Team project cultivates environmentally responsible behaviour, promotes healthy lifestyles, supports veterans and orphanages, and organises charitable actions, community work days and environmental festivals. Education facilities and children’s railways have set up 130 environmental action teams.
Biodiversity conservation measures implemented in 2024
In 2024, we continued implementing initiatives under the Action Plan to protect Lake Baikal’s natural territory:
- using mobile environmental stations, we conducted over 8,300 environmental studies (on natural water, air, soil, and noise) as part of industrial environmental control and environmental monitoring at construction and reconstruction sites within the central zone of Lake Baikal’s natural territory;
- we implemented separate waste collection in electric trains, stations, and stops along the Circum‑Baikal Railway, utilising hydraulic presses for waste preparation;
- during construction and upgrade projects, our restoration measures included reforestation work: while logging 6.9 ha, we planted 41.5 ha of forest plantations (91,345 trees), achieving a 6:1 ratio of planting area to logging;
- as part of additional environmental actions in 2024, we planted 32,075 tree seedlings in forests of Lake Baikal’s natural territory, including with participation from volunteers representing the East‑Siberian Railway;
- the Sacred World photo exhibition by the Zapovednoye Pribaikalye state‑run nature reserve administration was displayed at the Irkutsk‑Passazhirsky station and also shown at the Ulan‑Ude station. These mobile pop‑up displays featured images of Trans‑Baikal nature, rare and endemic flora and fauna species. We installed information stands at the Irkutsk‑Passazhirsky, Ulan‑Ude, Taksimo and Padunskie Porogi stations of the East‑Siberian Railway, presenting information about environmental measures within the Baikal—Amur and Trans‑Siberian Mainlines upgrade investment projects.
- at the Slyudyanka I station, we updated an interactive environmental exposition dedicated to Lake Baikal by replacing the photo zone, adding a copper products exposition, and updating the mineral display.
Russian Railways’ contribution to biodiversity conservation in Southern Baikal area
In 2024, following comprehensive work with Russian Railways financial support, the Talovskoye lake and wetland ecosystem received specially protected area status through the Irkutsk Region’s government decree No. 390‑pp dated 20 May 2024. This unique 80 ha natural area sits within the South Baikal migration corridor and provides habitat for 36 bird species and 3 mammal species listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Irkutsk Region.
Russian Railways contributes significantly to regional biodiversity conservation, supporting rare species protection and preserving natural balance in this unique part of our country.
