Russian Railways to develop new freight services on Europe-China Route

Speaking at the China International Transportation and Logistic Expo in Shanghai, JSC Russian Railways President Oleg Belozerov confirmed the company will be developing new freight services on the Europe–China Route.

In his speech, delivered at the Railway Business at Transit Speeds conference within the Expo framework, the president of Russian Railways stated that creating the necessary conditions to cultivate demand for transportation between Europe and Asia was an important task.

“For Russia, the question of not only the development of transport and logistics infrastructure in the eastern regions of the country, but also the creation of optimal routes overland for the delivery of goods in transit is arising. To do this, on the one hand we need to make the most of our national territory, and, on the other hand, take advantage of the integration processes in Eurasia,” said Mr. Belozerov.

In order to enhance cooperation with international partners from Asia and Europe, Russian Railways is actively involved in the integration of the Baikal-Amur Railway (BAM) and Trans-Siberian railway in the international transport corridors.

Traffic on Trans-Siberian Railway rose 3.9 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year

According to Russian Railways, the volume of traffic on the Trans-Siberian Railway in 2015 was more than 113 million tonnes, 3.9 percent more than the previous year. Volumes of container traffic also saw a significant increase; compared to 2010, the volume of traffic increased by 57 percent and amounted to almost 504 000 containers in TEU measurement.

Russian Railways current and future services

Currently, Russian Railways provides two main products, the Trans-Siberian in 7 Days and Baikal Shuttle. According to Mr Belozerov, the company is now “developing a range of brand new high-quality products” which will be on offer in due course.

In addition, the company is working with government agencies and international partners on implementing common information technology and electronic documents. According to Russian Railways, work is underway to improve the quality of service through compliance with delivery times, the safety of goods, and information support for the transportation process.

Furthermore, the company, together with foreign partners, is involved in the development of a direct rail link with China through existing border crossings and has formed transit cargo flows through the territory of Mongolia and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union—Kazakhstan and Belarus. In addition, the use of transport infrastructure of the Black Sea, which is now being actively updated, will allow for the development of a route directly from China to countries in southern Europe.