Russian Railways have reported a 13.9% year-on-year increase in rail container traffic during January-August 2021. All in all, almost 4.3 mn TEU was carried during the period under report.
Domestic container traffic grew by 6.4% up to 1.6 mn TEU, export was up 9.4% to 1.5 mn TEU, import up 15.9% 899.2 thousand TEU, while transit surged 1.4-fold up to 694.5 thousand TEU.
Laden container traffic exceeded 3 mn TEU, up 19.5% year-on-year.
Commodity-wise, containerized grains grew the most, up 3.5-fold to 19.2 thousand TEU. Non-ferrous ore and raw sulphur surged 1.5-fold up to 23.8 thousand TEU, potatoes, vegetables and fruit were up 1.5-fold to 7.4 thousand TEU.
Consumer goods were up 30.4% to 314.3 thousand TEU, hardware up 32.8% to 276.5 thousand TEU, machinery, engines and equipment up 34.5% to 245.5 thousand TEU, vehicles and parts up 31.2% to 187.3 thousand TEU.
Containerized chemicals and soda were up 9.7% to 501.3 thousand TEU, timber and woodwork up 9.7% to 402.6 thousand TEU, ferrous metals up 23.3% up to 161.6 thousand TEU, other and LCL cargo up 34.9% to 110.4 thousand TEU, and non-ferrous metals up 9.7% to 103.1 thousand TEU.
Construction cargo transportation increased by 18% up to 97.9 thousand TEU, chemical and mineral fertilizers by 22.7% to 33.7 thousand TEU, metal structures by 2.3% to 10.7 thousand TEU, fish by 21.3% up to 17 thousand TEU, other food products by 19.8% up to 120.6 thousand TEU.
Containerized coal transportation that started in February this year made 21.1 thousand tons during January-August 2021.
Containerized paper was down 1.2% to 231.7 thousand TEU, oil and products down 13.4% to 48 thousand TEU, meal and flour down 2.5% to 6.8 thousand TEU.
