Russian economy could lose up to 1.5 trln rubles due to bottlenecks on eastern railways - Trutnev

KHABAROVSK. July 5 (Interfax) - The redirection of freight traffic to the Far East has dramatically increased the need for faster modernization of Russia's eastern railways, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, who is also the president's envoy to the Far East Federal District, said.

"All the products made in Russia by export-oriented companies have turned around to the Far East to countries with which we are continuing economic cooperation. However, the amount of freight not shipped on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) and Trans-Siberian Railway in 2021 amounted to 70 million tonnes. Not shipped meaning this is what we could not ship," Trutnev said Tuesday at a meeting in Khabarovsk with the secretary of the Security Council.

"In 2022, with requirements for 258 million tonnes, the forecast amount of unshipped freight could total 100 million tonnes," Trutnev said.

"The damage that will be done to our economy with this is estimated at 1.5 trillion rubles," he said.

He said "we need to sort out what we're lacking," and if it is money "we need to allocate and attract the lacking workforce, equipment."

"This is a problem that needs to be solved outside of any order of precedence," Trutnev added.