UFS

UFS is the developer of the UFS-online ticket and hotel reservation system, which is used by more than 5,000 large companies in Russia. It allows you to buy electronic tickets for a train, plane, aeroexpress, as well as book hotel rooms and insure passengers.

UFS is integrated with the Express-3 ASU system of Russian Railways and as of 2016 is the only online service in Russia that has access to the electronic database of Russian Railways, which controls the sale of all tickets for long-distance trains.

In addition to Russian Railways, the company works directly with more than 200 airlines. UFS solutions are also used by travel agencies, hotels, banks, train stations, large retail chains, tour operators and corporate customers (6 thousand agents, 25 thousand retail outlets as of 2016). Among the largest customers are Alfa-Bank, Russian Post, Yandex, Euroset, Svyaznoy.

History

2019: Hackers who hacked UFS were given 10-13 years in prison

At the end of December 2019, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow sentenced three hackers accused of hacking the ticket systems of Russian Railways and S7. In total, 29 people were involved in the case. More details here.

2017: Start of electronic ticket sales via multimodal routes

May 15, 2017 announced the start of sales of electronic tickets on multimodal routes. This was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the UFS with the Federal Passenger Company. The option can be used by the company's partners connected to the Electronic Cash Desk on the basis of the UFS technology platform, which provides a full range of tourist services.

An additional option allows you to increase the competitiveness of UFS LLC partners due to the ability to offer their customers extended routes where train traffic is limited, according to the company.

"Multimodal transportation is an innovative and promising direction in the transport system of Russia and abroad. In Europe, prototypes of the intermodal system are already being created, successful examples of which are, for example, the AirRail project, the Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn alliance. In Russia, the mixed transport market is just beginning to gain momentum, and we are glad to be at the origins of the development of multi-transport routes around the country. The first step for us was the launch of sales of 8 directions of FPC JSC - in the territory of Belgorod, Lipetsk, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Samara and other regions. In 2017, it is also planned to launch transportation to the Crimea, which is in demand among tourists, using three modes of transport - train, bus and ferry, "comments Alexei Astanin, Director General of UFS.

Multimodal transportation, which can be registered in the UFS system, takes place in two stages: transportation of a passenger by rail to the bus departure station and its further transportation by bus and vice versa. The number of buses and seats in them is calculated taking into account the tickets sold for the train. The travel document for the bus - ticket - indicates the route, date of arrival and departure, as well as the personal data of the passenger. There is no room on the ticket, since seating on the bus is free. Buses have stops along the route.

The passenger, as on a regular train, can use the electronic check-in service. Coupons are returned at any time, but no later than 12 hours before the departure of the bus from the passenger boarding station. In the Electronic Ticket Office system, only mixed train + bus transportation is sold, separately the bus can be purchased at the cash desks of FPC JSC.

The cost of a bus trip is fixed for a passenger of any age. For children under 5 years of age, travel is free, you do not need to issue a ticket.

2016: Andrei Cheglakov became the co-owner of the UFS

In April 2016, the owners changed in UFS LLC. Instead of the Cyprus offshore, AM EBUKERS LIMITED, according to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, they were Andrei Cheglakov (76.6%) and Alexander Kuklich (22.4%).

Cheglakov is the founder of the well-known IT company Stipler in the past and an investor in the office software developer New Cloud Technologies.

Andrei Cheglakov in April 2016 became the main co-owner of the UFS

The businessman already demonstrated ties with the railway sphere in 2015, when he sold part of his stake in New Cloud Technologies to Vitaly Krivenko, a native of Russian Railways and co-owner of Media Partner, which, in turn, owns a number of structures engaged in the production of newspapers and magazines about the railway and for Russian Railways passengers.

2014-2015: Navalny considers the owner of the UFS Andrei Yakunin

At the end of April 2014, Alexei Navalny submitted an investigation in his blog stating that UFS LLC belongs to the Cypriot offshore AM Ebookers, which was allegedly controlled by the son of the ex-head of Russian Railways Andrei Yakunin. AM Ebookers, according to Navalny, is co-owned by Cyprus-based Verlys Nominees Limited. This company, as the oppositionist wrote, owns "the main assets of the Yakunin family."

In August 2015, the owner of the UFS Navalny called the Cypriot company VIY, which, according to him, is "directly affiliated with Andrei Yakunin." VIY in turn also owns Cyprus Verlys Nominees^[1].

UFS General Director Dmitry Vitchinka denied Navalny's information about the presence of Andrei Yakunin as part of the company's shareholders.

Notes