Russian Railways expects fall in container transportation in 2025; transportation across network declines 3.9% in 8M - deputy head

MOSCOW. Sept 4 (Interfax) - OJSC Russian Railways (RZD) expects a decrease in container transportation in 2025.

"The year 2024 was a record year; we transported 7.88 million twenty-foot equivalent units [up 5.9% compared to 2023]. This year we are working with a decrease. The decrease is not as global as colleagues mentioned; probably, everyone was talking about their segment, because overall, so far after eight months [of 2025], the decrease is minus 3.9%. The largest decrease for us is imports - at 11%. I am referring to the entire Russian Railways network, and domestic transportation," RZD Deputy General Director and Head of the Center for Branded Transport Service Irina Magnushevskaya said during a session at the 2025 Easter Economic Forum.

"Our plan for 2025 was to transport 8 million TEU, and if colleagues are ready to support this amount, saying that there is cargo, then we will make every effort. In principle, we are now saying that there are no problems with the removal of containers, either from the Eastern Polygon or in general from the northwestern direction or the Azov-Black Sea basin," Magnushevskaya said.