Bus transportation in Russia

2024

In Russia, the number of trips on international buses over the year increased by 3% and reached 1.4 million

The number of trips on international buses in Russia in 2024 increased by 3% and reached 1.4 million. This follows from the data of the study "Analysis of the international bus transportation market in Russia," published by BusinesStat in November 2025.

The growth is due to the launch of new routes and an increase in the number of flights on existing destinations. By the end of 2024, 337 international routes were established in Russia. Of these, 128 were opened in 2024. This indicates significant activity in the development of international bus services.

In 2020, the number of trips was 1.2 million. In 2021, the figure fell 54% to 0.6 million. The sharp reduction was associated with a pandemic and restrictions on international communication. Border closures and quarantine measures have led to a practical halt in international bus traffic.

In 2022, the recovery period began. The number of trips increased by 46% to 0.8 million. In 2023, growth accelerated by 62%, the figure reached 1.3 million. In 2024, the growth rate slowed to 3%, but the volume of traffic reached 1.4 million trips. Recovery to the level of 2020 was completed, and the indicator exceeded the pre-pandemic values.

In December 2024, a regular route was opened through the Kani-Kurgan checkpoint between and the Blagoveshchensk Chinese city of Heihe. It provided year-round connections between the cities. Prior to this, the crossing worked only during the navigation period. In winter, communication was interrupted due to freezing on the Amur River.

The opening of 128 new international routes in 2024 means that almost 40% of all operating destinations were launched in one year. This is unprecedented activity in the industry. The geography of new routes covers the CIS countries, Asia and other areas where transport links are preserved.

Both large transport companies and small carriers operate in the international bus transportation market. Leading enterprises in the industry:

• Tobolsk Passenger Motor Transport Company JSC;
• SKSavto LLC;
• JSC Mezhgorodtrans;
• Omskoblavtotrans JSC;
• Sovavto-S. Petersburg JSC^[1]

Growth in the number of commuter bus trips in Russia by 2% to 1.6 billion

According to the "Analysis of the suburban bus transportation market in Russia," prepared by BusinesStat in November 2025, in 2024 the number of trips on suburban buses increased by 2% to 1.6 billion.

Travel numbers were recovering from a significant decline in 2020 caused by restrictions on movement during the pandemic. The growth of passenger traffic in suburban bus directions is facilitated by the enlargement of cities and the development of agglomerations, state support for the industry aimed at modernizing transport and regulating tariffs for transportation.^[2]

Growth of the Russian intercity bus transportation market by 17% to ₽78 billion

The turnover of the Russian market for intercity bus transportation in 2024 grew by 17% and reached ₽78 billion against ₽66 billion in 2023. This is evidenced by data from the analytical company BusinesStat, released in July 2025.

According to the researchers, the increase in revenue of operators was the result of an increase in passenger traffic and an increase in tariffs for transportation. According to BusinesStat, which prepared an analysis of the intercity bus transportation market in Russia in 2025, over the period 2020-2024, the market turnover grew 2.1 times from ₽37 to ₽78 billion. The market growth was driven by a 29% increase in intercity travel and a 66% increase in average price.

Among the leading enterprises of the industry stand out:

• State Unitary Enterprise Mosgortrans;
• JSC Moscow transcar"";
• State Unitary Enterprise "Bashavtotrans" RB;
• Transavtoliz LLC.

In 2020, the revenue of market operators was at an extremely low level. During the strictest restrictive measures in the first quarter of 2020, passenger traffic in intercity traffic fell by 70-80% compared to the same period in 2019. Such data are provided by operators of the bus transportation market.

In 2021, with the weakening of covid restrictions, the turnover of intercity passenger transportation by buses in Russia began to gradually recover. The market showed growth of 28% to ₽47 billion. This was the beginning of a sustainable recovery of the industry after the crisis 2020.

Since 2022, the increase in revenue of market operators was further facilitated by the redistribution of demand from other types of passenger transport to buses as the least expensive type of intercity communication. The market turnover reached ₽54 billion, showing an increase of 16%.

The development of domestic tourism also increased the number of intercity bus passengers. With a decrease in the availability of foreign vacations, Russians switched to travel within the country. With closed flights in the southern regions of the country, intercity buses have become an alternative solution for delivering tourists to the Black Sea coast.^[3]

The bus fleet in Russia grew by 10% over 5 years to 486 thousand units. Regions

Over the past five years, the number of bus fleets in Russia has increased by 10%, reaching 486 thousand units by the beginning of 2024. This became known on July 8, 2024 according to the results of a study conducted by the National Agency for Industrial Information (NAPI).

According to Vedomosti, for the period from 2019 to 2024, the number of buses in the country increased by about 43.5 thousand units. At the same time, the share of the young bus fleet under the age of 6, inclusive, increased from 15.2% to 16.5%, which indicates a gradual renewal of vehicles.

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Фото: Unsplash

Analysis of the regional structure of the bus fleet showed significant differences between the entities. of the Russian Federation The youngest bus fleet is recorded in, To Moscow where the average age of vehicles is 12.6 years. The capital is followed St. Petersburg Moscow region by (13.6 years), (Leningrad Oblast 14.4 years), (14.5 years) and (14.9 Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug years).

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the regions with the oldest bus fleet. Dagestan became the leader of the anti-rating, where the average age of buses reaches 24.5 years. It is followed by Kalmykia (22.7 years), Kamchatka (22.4 years), North Ossetia (22.3 years) and Kabardino-Balkaria (21.9 years).

During the period under review, the greatest rejuvenation of the bus fleet occurred in the Vladimir region, where the average age of vehicles decreased from 17.9 to 15 years. A significant improvement in indicators was also observed in the Murmansk region and Chechnya.

Despite the general trend towards renewal, some regions have seen an accelerated ageing of the bus fleet. This process was most noticeable in the Khabarovsk Territory, Udmurtia and Yakutia, where the average age of buses increased by 2-2.5 years.

Moscow leads not only in age, but also in the number of young buses in the park. There are 9,100 cars in the capital under 6 years old, which is 33% of the total. A significant part of this fleet is electric buses, the number of which exceeded 1,400 units by the end of 2023.^[4]

2023

Passenger transportation by road in Russia for the year increased by 6.2%

Passenger transportation by road in Russia in 2023 increased by 6.2% compared to 2022 and amounted to 8.8 billion people. This is evidenced by the data of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, with which TAdviser got acquainted in November 2024.

From the materials of the department it follows that the volume of passenger traffic of land-based urban transport in the Russian Federation at the end of 2023 reached 10.7 billion people, which is 5.3% higher than a year ago. In the segment of ground urban electric transport, the indicator increased by 1.1%, to 1.9 billion passengers.

Growth in the number of trips on international buses by a third to 1.65 million

In 2023, the number of trips on international buses in Russia reached 1.65 million. This is almost a third - by 31.2% - more than the previous year, when about 1.26 million such movements were made. Significant growth is associated with the recovery of the industry after restrictions imposed on the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics are provided in BusinesStat materials released on February 14, 2024.

According to estimates, in 2019 the number of trips by international buses to the Russian Federation reached 2.92 million. In 2020, due to the spread of coronavirus, the indicator collapsed by 60% - to 1.17 million. And in 2021, a decline of another 52.1% was recorded with a final result of about 0.56 million. In 2022, restrictions caused by the pandemic began to be lifted. The number of trips by international vehicles in Russia rose by 125%, reaching 1.26 million.

The main factor in the growth was the restoration of bus services with Belarus, Kazakhstan and other neighboring countries. In addition, in 2023, trips between Russia and China resumed, which were stopped in 2020. As of the end of 2023, bus routes from Russia operated in such directions as Suifenhe, Hunchun, Manchuria, etc. At the same time, in the conditions of the current geopolitical situation, as noted, the "previously rather lively" bus service with Ukraine and the countries of the European Union has been disrupted.

The study also says that in 2023, 68 enterprises of international bus transport operated in Russia. Of these, 60, or 88.2%, were in Russian ownership. The share of companies owned by foreign owners amounted to 5.9%, and the same number of organizations were in joint Russian and foreign ownership.^[5]

2022: Intercity bus ridership up 3.3% to 6.29 million

The volume of passenger transportation by intercity buses in Russia in 2022 amounted to 6.29 million people, which is 3.3% more than a year earlier. In 2021, the market showed an increase of 7.2%, according to data that experts of the analytical agency published in September 2023.

According to the researchers, after the recession caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the bus transportation market began to recover. An additional incentive to increase the passenger traffic of intercity buses was the new crisis in 2022. Long-distance buses remain the most budgetary mode of transport with a relatively low level of comfort and safety. In the context of a decrease in the disposable income of Russians, restrictions on air traffic in the southern regions of the country, as well as an increase in the cost of maintaining personal vehicles, an influx of passengers of intercity bus transport was observed. The introduction of restrictions on the growth of tariffs also contributed to the growth of demand for intercity bus transportation in 2022-2023.

At the same time, sanctions have a negative impact on the industry. Intercity service uses buses of large capacity mainly of imported origin. In the current environment, maintenance of such a fleet has become difficult due to the lack of access to foreign spare parts. Western brands Volvo, Scania, MAN, Bosch, due to reputational risks, logistical difficulties and payment problems, limited the supply of original parts to Russia.

Analysts add that the increase in rates on loans required to buy buses, an increase in operating costs (maintenance, staff salaries, fuel costs) while the authorities restrain the increase in fares lead to a reduction in the fleet of intercity buses and limit market growth.^[6]

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