Russian Railways should be viewed through the prism of four development principles: scale, technology, care, and opportunity.
Our company is the largest employer in the country. It employs 623,000 people, with over 1 million in the RZD Holding. Including families, industry veterans, students, and young railway workers, the total exceeds 4 million. The holding represents approximately 1,000 professions and specialties.
On August 26, 2024, the RZD Holding Sustainability Policy was approved for the first time. The primary ESG goal is to maintain leadership in the industry, ensure efficient use of resources (including labor), provide protection against natural and man-made threats, and adhere to high standards of environmental and technosphere safety. To achieve this goal, the Policy defines 10 key tasks covering all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The results of the company's sustainability efforts are published on the official JSC "Russian Railways" website. In 2024, the company released its 10th anniversary sustainability report (Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports were published from 2006 to 2014).
The performance of JSC "Russian Railways" in the field of sustainable development is reflected in ESG ratings and rankings. We monitor our scores from all major national rating agencies and work to improve our indicators. As a result of these efforts, RAEX rating agency upgraded the ESG rating of JSC "Russian Railways" from BBB to A, indicating that the company's management of ESG risks and opportunities is at a high level.
To familiarize employees with ESG principles, an online training program titled "Sustainability Management" was launched in collaboration with the Corporate University.
Everything created by the company is the result of the efforts of the entire team and every individual. Therefore, significant efforts are made to create a comfortable and safe working environment, as well as motivating factors.
These factors include: a social package including the right to a subsidized mortgage, wage indexation at least twice a year in accordance with the Collective Agreement, and a bonus package where employees earn points for additional activities, including HSE matters, which can then be exchanged for various rewards. Once a year, all railway workers are entitled to free train travel across the country.
Employees are also provided with free medical care, including annual health checkups. Sanatorium and resort treatment is organized for employees, their family members, and railway pensioners.
Special support is provided to families with children — this includes not only special payments but also infrastructure. Schools and kindergartens are available for our employees' children.
Furthermore, the company provides corporate housing or compensates for rent for certain categories of employees.
Great attention is paid to promoting a healthy lifestyle among employees: sports facilities are developed, and tournaments and charity runs are organized. The company also partially compensates for the cost of gym memberships.
Regarding employee growth and development, the following areas are implemented: mentoring, training, and engagement activities. Each of these areas includes aspects related to the safety of production processes.
The company has over 80,000 mentors, and in 2024, an HSE mentoring procedure was introduced for the first time as part of the professional mentoring system at JSC "Russian Railways." The mentoring procedure follows a developed plan, after which the trainee demonstrates safe work skills before a committee during a demo day.
The main platform for training managers and specialists is the RZD Corporate University, which develops the managerial and professional competencies of railway industry leaders, including in the areas of HSE. In 2021, it was recognized as the best in the world by the Global Council of Corporate Universities (Global CCU).
The distance learning system is one of the primary tools for employee self-development. All company employees have access to the corporate distance learning platform, which hosts over 1,400 electronic courses across 20 thematic areas. This tool allows for the improvement of professional and applied skills, as well as the development of corporate competencies. Within the "Knowledge Hour" project, employees can independently develop and post training courses after moderation.
Another important element of the training and development system is the RZD Professionals Championship. Participation in the championship is a unique opportunity to showcase strengths and identify areas for development in practice. Competitions are held for representatives of 65 key professions and specialties across 40 competencies. Participants must demonstrate practical skills in solving complex production cases. Almost all company divisions participate. The championship attracts over 12,000 participants from across the country, with 2,000 railway workers competing in the finals.
Alongside technological fields, employees compete in "Ecology" and "HSE" competencies. HSE specialists, in accordance with the approved competition task, competed in disciplines such as professional risk and hazard identification, development of preventive measures to reduce industrial injuries and occupational diseases, selection of regulatory documents, providing first aid to victims of accidents, and many others.
To conduct the first aid competitions, two simulators with realistically presented injuries — including limb amputations, burns, and cuts — were purchased, and blood substitutes were used. Working with such simulators proved to be a challenge even for experienced specialists.
The largest youth event is the RZD Youth Forum, which this year brought together over 1,000 young employees, students, and members of student construction brigades.
The "New Link. Projects" competition is an educational and communication platform that allows young people to participate in the development and implementation of innovative and scientific ideas. The competition provides an opportunity to become part of a large team supporting changes in the holding's internal and external processes. Within the project, young engineers and middle managers develop projects to improve the safety of production processes in the company.
Corporate volunteering at JSC "Russian Railways" began with the "RZD Youth" program on the South Urals Railway.
Within the seven main areas of corporate volunteering at JSC "Russian Railways," communities have been created where employees, regardless of age, can develop not only with colleagues but also with family members, friends, and industry pensioners.