Russian Railways have reported a 15.3% year-on-year increase in rail container traffic during January-March 2019. All in all, 1.15 mn TEU was carried during Q1.
Domestic volumes were up 11.2% year-on-year to 478.3 thousand TEU, export up 11.4% to 306.2 thousand TEU, and import up 24.7% to 247.4 thousand TEU. Transit grew the most, by 24.9% up to 125.7 thousand TEU.
Laden container traffic amounted to 762.4 thousand TEU, up 14.8% year-on-year.
Commodity-wise, containerized timber and woodwork grew the most, up 44.5% year-on-year to 117.2 thousand TEU. Chemicals and soda were up 10.2% to 125.6 thousand TEU, paper up 8.1% to 81.7 thousand TEU, consumer goods up 12.9% to 66.9 thousand TEU.
Containerized ferrous metals grew by 15.1% up to 31.4 thousand TEU, hardware by 11.2% to 65.5 thousand tons, cars and vehicles by 10.6% to 56.4 thousand TEU, machinery, equipment and engines by 7.4% up to 49.4 thousand TEU.
Construction cargo increased by 32.9% to 23.5 thousand TEU, LCL and ‘other’ commodities were up 21.2% to 23.6 thousand TEU.
Chemical and mineral fertilizers were down 25.7% to 10.9 thousand TEU, non-ferrous metals declined by 5.2% down to 25.9 thousand TEU.
In March, Russian Railways carried 419.5 thousand TEU, up 16.5% year-on-year and up 15.2% month-on-month.a