INTERNATIONAL: Year-round ice-free access to north Russian ports and investments in the trans-Siberian rail corridor offer opportunities for the further development of rail freight, Yulia Kosolapova, Managing Director of RZD Logistics in Europe, told the European Silk Road Summit.
She said the volume of inter-continental rail freight running via Russia has grown significantly, with around 1 million TEU moved in 2021, 1·7 million TEU predicted for 2024 and 3·7 million TEU by 2035. This is dominated by westbound traffic, but eastbound traffic is expected to grow in its wake. Growth will be supported by the ongoing programme to reduce trans-Siberian transit times across Russia from 11-14 days to seven days.
Climate change means all-year shipping on the northern sea route around Russia’s north coast is expected to be practical by 2030. Some 716bn roubles is to be spent upgrading Russia’s northern ports to handle expcted traffic, and Murmansk could become a hub for consolidating traffic for Europe and Kamchatka for goods for east Asia.
Meanwhile, current issues faced by Eurasian rail fright shippers include a lack of infrastructure capacity and the uncertainly introduced by congestion and border delays; audience members suggested this is particularly bad in Kaliningrad and the ports of Russia’s Far East.
Kosolapova said measures being taken to address the problems include 850bn roubles of investment in the Trans-Siberian and Baikal Amur railways. Alternative routes and additional terminals in Europe are also being developed.
