TransContainer launched container shipping from China via Russia-Mongolia border crossing

MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - PJSC Transcontainer (part of Delo Group) together with JSC Russian Railways (RZD) and JSC Ulan-Bator Railway (UBZhD) has organized the first rail shipment of containers from China to Russia through the Solovyevsk (Trans-Baikal Territory) checkpoint on the Russian-Mongolian border, the company said in a statement.

"Until now, this border crossing has not been used for container shipments by rail," the report said.

Two large-tonnage containers were involved in the test shipment. The shipment was organized from Bayantumen station in eastern Mongolia, from which the cargo will go through Erentsav/Solovyevsk border crossing in the direction of TransContainer's terminal in St. Petersburg (Shushary).

Transcontainer provided a range of services as part of the shipment (from provision of rolling stock and customs transit clearance to receipt of cargo and its delivery to the customer at the destination point). Russian Railways and UBZhD organized general coordination through railroad administrations.

According to Vladimir Khlutkov, TransContainer's Director of Business Development in the Asia-Pacific Region, the company expects to launch a regular commercial service on this route, new to the Russian container market.

TransContainer is Russia's largest operator of fitting platforms. The company has a fleet of about 113,000 containers with a capacity of over 167,000 TEU, and more than 42,000 fitting platforms. The company owns 40 railway terminals in Russia, operates 23 cargo ships, including 13 ships of the Sakhalin Shipping Company (SakhMP, SASCO, TransContainer owns 58.51% of shares). The company is owned by Sergey Shishkarev's Delo Group (51%) and Rosatom State Corporation (49%).