Press Release, April 11, 2014

YABLOKO’s activists conducted a picket against the reduction of suburban commuter trains earlier today. Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee Galina Mikhaleva participated in the action.

“The Russian Railways, our richest monopoly, solve their problems at the citizens’ cost, they try to justify the reduction of the regional commuter trains by the fact that the regions don’t pay for the service. But we know that the Russian Railway have an enormous budget, their managers receive tons of money,” said Galina Mikhaleva.

According to the Russian Railways statement, a number of commuter trains will be reduced in several regions to minimize costs. A wave of cancellation of suburban commuter trains started in January when 144 commuter trains in 26 regions of Russia were cancelled. Russia’s Government gave the regions the right to abandon commuter trains at all and such measure have already taken place in Primorye and the Rostov region.

YABLOKO protests against the reduction of suburban commuter trains as it will lead to social tension. The activists held banners which said “Stop cancelling commuter trains”, “There’s no way to get away from here” with the map of the regions which already suffered from the monopolists’ plans.

Representatives of the Russian Railways Safety Department also participated in the action: they made a video record and tried to check the documents of the organiser of the picket claiming they had the right to do it.