Russian rail exports to China have grown by 27,5 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter. In total, Russia exported 9,4 million tonnes of freight during this period. The growth reflects an ongoing trend of growing rail freight volumes between the two countries. As a result of Western sanctions, it is geopolitically important for Russia…
Category: sanctions
Russia and Iran finalising Rasht-Astara agreement
Russia and Iran are reportedly finalising an agreement for the Rasht-Astara railway. The line in northern Iran is a crucial missing piece for the western branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). According to the agreement, Russia will bear the brunt of the costs. A meeting between the Iranian ambassador in Russia and a…
Operail CEO refutes media accusations: “Operail Finland sold at fair price”
The CEO of Operail, Merle Kurvits, has responded to media attention for Operail Finland’s sale. Estonian media recently said Operail Finland’s sale was a 12 million euro “gift” to the Finnish rail industry. Kurvits refutes the accusations of underselling, saying that Operail sold the subsidiary at a fair price. Operail sold its subsidiary Operail Finland…
China-EU freight through Russia nearly back at pre-war levels
Rail freight transit through Russia to the EU is nearly back at its pre-war level. As Houthi attacks endanger shipping on the Red Sea, shippers are looking for alternative routes. Consequently, the volume of China-EU freight that travels via Russian rail grew by 44 per cent in 2024. According to Russian media, the volume of…
Russian rail exports of petrol halved following embargo
Russian exports of petrol via rail have been halved in March. The export reduction follows an embargo that the Kremlin introduced. It implemented the embargo to curb domestic fuel shortages. Russia introduced a fuel export ban on 1 March. The ban aims to mitigate the country’s ongoing fuel shortage, which has led to rising prices.…
Latvian petition against manganese ore export to Russia gaining momentum
A petition to ban the export of manganese ore to Russia is picking up the pace in Latvia. The public initiative gathered a third of the required signatures for a parliamentary debate in a single week. The Latvian rail sector has suffered from sanctions on Russia, but public opinion is heavily in favour of them.…
FESCO signs rail agreements with 5 Chinese logistics companies
Russian logistics company FESCO has signed agreements with five Chinese logistics companies. The agreements, by and large, concern rail freight. FESCO has entered into agreements with five Chinese logistics companies. The Russian company signed an agreement with Weisa International Logistics Group, in which the two companies agree to work together for rail freight optimisation on…