Russian Railways have reported a 15.9% year-on-year increase in rail container traffic during January-May 2021. All in all, 2.6 mn TEU was carried during the period under report.
Domestic container traffic grew by 7.8% up to 988.6 thousand TEU, export was up 8.7% to 648.9 thousand TEU, import up 18.1% to 545.3 thousand TEU, while transit surged 1.6-fold up to 413.2 thousand TEU.
Laden container traffic made 1.8 mn TEU, up 23.1% year-on-year.
Commodity-wise, containerized grains grew the most, up 4.3-fold to 16 thousand TEU. Non-ferrous ore and raw sulphur surged 1.5-fold up to 15.1 thousand TEU.
Consumer goods were up 1.4-fold to 178.5 thousand TEU, hardware up 1.4-fold to 164 thousand TEU, machinery, engines and equipment up 1.4-fold up to 147.8 thousand TEU, other and LCL cargo up 1.4-fold to 64 thousand TEU, potatoes, vegetables and fruit up 1.4-fold to 5.2 thousand TEU.
Containerized chemicals and soda were up 9.4% year-on-year to 311.2 thousand TEU, timber and woodwork up 8.4% to 235.7 thousand TEU, paper up 1.8% to 150.2 thousand TEU, vehicles and parts up 38% to 117.9 thousand TEU, ferrous metals up 26% up to 100 thousand TEU, and non-ferrous metals up 13.8% to 63.4 thousand TEU.
Construction cargo transportation increased by 23.8% up to 54.9 thousand TEU, chemical and mineral fertilizers by 19.8% to 20.4 thousand TEU, metal structures by 15.8% to 6.6 thousand TEU, fish by 16.5% up to 10.1 thousand TEU, other food products by 24.4% up to 73 thousand TEU.
Containerized coal transportation that started in February this year made 11 thousand tons during January-May 2021.
Containerized oil and products were down 15.8% to 30.9 thousand TEU, meal and flour down 3.2% to 4.3 thousand TEU.