Russian Railways slashes 6,000 jobs in sweeping efficiency overhaul
Russian Railways (RZD) has announced plans to reduce its central office workforce by 15% by 2026. The move will impact around 6,000 employees, primarily in administrative and managerial roles, including regional leadership positions.
The company operates 16 regional branches across Russia, each overseeing a section of the country's vast rail network. The latest staff reductions form part of a broader efficiency drive that has already yielded significant savings.
Between 2019 and 2025, RZD's labour productivity programme cut costs by 300 billion rubles (around $3.2 billion). These savings came from technological upgrades, lower fuel consumption, improved transport reliability, and internal restructuring. The next phase of the plan aims to generate an additional 74 billion rubles ($790 million) in benefits by 2026. The latest round of job cuts will focus on streamlining management layers, particularly within the 16 regional directorates. The company has not yet detailed which specific departments or locations will see the deepest reductions.
The restructuring follows years of cost-cutting measures that have reshaped RZD's operations. With 6,000 roles set to disappear, the company expects further financial gains while maintaining its rail services. The full impact on regional branches and daily operations will become clearer as the plan rolls out over the next two years.
