Russian Railways have reported a 14.6% year-on-year increase in rail container traffic during January-July 2021. All in all, 3.7 mn TEU was carried during the period under report.
Domestic container traffic grew by 7.3% up to 1.4 mn TEU, export was up 8.9% to 915.7 thousand TEU, import up 16.5% to 782.7 thousand TEU, while transit surged 1.5-fold up to 600 thousand TEU.
Laden container traffic made 2.6 mn TEU, up 20.8% year-on-year.
Commodity-wise, containerized grains grew the most, up 3.7-fold to 18.1 thousand TEU. Non-ferrous ore and raw sulphur surged 1.6-fold up to 20.9 thousand TEU, potatoes, vegetables and fruit were up 1.4-fold to 6.8 thousand TEU.
Consumer goods were up 35% to 265.4 thousand TEU, hardware up 36.2% to 239.2 thousand TEU, machinery, engines and equipment up 37.7% to 212.8 thousand TEU, vehicles and parts up 33.4% to 166.3 thousand TEU.
Containerized chemicals and soda were up 9.2% year-on-year to 439 thousand TEU, timber and woodwork up 9.6% to 347 thousand TEU, ferrous metals up 23.6% up to 140.8 thousand TEU, other and LCL cargo up 36.6% to 94.4 thousand TEU, and non-ferrous metals up 12.4% to 90.3 thousand TEU.
Construction cargo transportation increased by 19.8% up to 83.9 thousand TEU, chemical and mineral fertilizers by 19.9% to 29.4 thousand TEU, metal structures by 6.3% to 9.4 thousand TEU, fish by 18.8% up to 14.4 thousand TEU, other food products by 20.8% up to 104.3 thousand TEU.
Containerized coal transportation that started in February this year made 19.9 thousand tons during January-July 2021.
Containerized paper was down 0.7% to 202.9 thousand TEU, oil and products down 14.6% to 41.9 thousand TEU, meal and flour down 3.1% to 6 thousand TEU.