Russian Railways forecasts decline of 2.6% in cargo handling in Nov, 4.8% in Dec, 6% in 2025

MOSCOW. Nov 5 (Interfax) - Russian Railways expects a decline in cargo handling by the end of the year, Russian Railways Deputy CEO Irina Magnushevskaya told reporters.

"We are planning for November within the financial plan approved in August 2025 at 3,111,800 tonnes per day, and we hope to achieve the target. We will work within the approved financial plan for both November and December at minus 2.6% in November and minus 4.8% in December," Magnushevskaya said.

"Overall, it will be minus 6% [in loading dynamics] for the year [in 2025]," Magnushevskaya said.

Magnushevskaya said that Russian Railways currently projects cargo handling to grow 0.6% year-on-year in 2026.

"Of course, we hope that it will not be 0.6%, but rather the same 6% that we lost at least to the level of 2024," Magnushevskaya said.

As reported, cargo handling on the Russian Railways network increased 0.1% in October, showing a symbolic rise for the first time in two years. The last time cargo handling demonstrated a positive trend was in September 2023, when it grew 0.2% to 100.9 million tonnes.