Russian Railways have reported an 11.9% surge in rail container traffic during Jabuary-May 2018. All in all, 1.7 mn TEU was carried.
Domestic volumes were up 3.4% year-on-year to 741 thousand TEU, export up 17.5% to 459.7 thousand TEU, and import up 16.7% to 271.2 thousand TEU.
Transit grew the most, by 24.7% up to 181 thousand TEU.
Loaded container traffic amounted to 11.14 mn TEU in January-May, increasing 13.2% year-on-year.
Containerized chemicals and soda were up 7.2% to 195.1 thousand TEU, paper up 7.8% to 128.5 thousand TEU, timber up 31.4% to 141.4 thousand TEU, consumer goods up 9.1% to 95.9 thousand TEU.
Hardware volumes increased by 14.8% up to 100.3 thousand TEU, cars by 34.4% up to 87 thousand TEU, machinery, equipment and engines by 20.2% up to 80.7 thousand TEU.
Ferrous metals grew 18.1% up to 47.8 thousand TEU, construction cargo 1.1% up to 35 thousand TEU
Non-ferrous metals declined 2% down to 44 thousand TEU, and chemical and mineral fertilizers 5.1% down to 14.7 thousand TEU.
In May, Russian Railways carried 351.8 thousand TEU, up 9% year-on-year, including 239.9 thousand TEU of laden containers, up 1.6%.