Russian rail maintenance companies are struggling to acquire enough spare parts to service locomotives. They also face a shortage of highly educated staff. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has had to suspend or delay almost 50,000 trains throughout 2023. In comparison to 2022, the amount of delayed or suspended trains due to a lack…
Category: sanctions
Shortages delay and suspend nearly 50,000 trains in Russia
Russian rail maintenance companies are struggling to acquire enough spare parts to service locomotives. They also face a shortage of highly educated staff. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has had to suspend or delay almost 50,000 trains throughout 2023. In comparison to 2022, the amount of delayed or suspended trains due to a lack…
Russia considers giving priority to oil and gas on its railway network
The Russian government is considering giving priority to oil and gas on its railway network in its Far Eastern region. Earlier, Russian oil and gas companies reported regular refusals for transportation of their products from rail operators. As oil and gas are essential commodities for Russia’s economy, the government is now considering giving them priority […]
Russia profits from Red Sea crisis, sees rail freight to Europe grow
Russian Railways (RZD) is benefitting from the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea, according to a number of European logistics companies. As maritime shippers have diverted their routes, logistics companies are getting more and more requests to transit goods through Russia as a quicker and cheaper alternative. Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to attack ships passing […]
Russia hoping to use INSTC to evade sanctions, says think tank
According to the US-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation, Russia hopes to use the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a way to evade Western sanctions. The development of the corridor allows Russia to gain more open access to non-Western markets. Those could provide Russia with much-needed goods for its war economy. The INSTC is […]
Latvia bans agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus
Latvia has banned agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus. The Baltic country is the first EU country to go as far as to introduce a total ban on Russian agricultural products. The ban will last until 2025 at the very least. Russia’s neighbouring Baltic country was one of the biggest importers of Russian grain in […]
PJSC TransContainer in U.S. sanctions list: “Business continues as usual,” says company
Russian intermodal container operator PJSC TransContainer is included in the latest sanction package published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Russia-based company will no longer be able to conduct business with U.S. entities. PJSC TransContainer’s official statement on the matter underlines that “the company’s operating activities continue as usual,” while its subsidiaries based […]
LTG Cargo runs first cross-Baltic cargo train pilot
Lithuanian rail operator LTG Cargo has run its first continuous pilot train across all Baltic countries. It is the company’s first independently run cargo train traversing all three Baltic states. As Baltic rail operators have faced financial difficulties due to a loss of freight from and to Russia and Belarus, they seek to diversify their […]
Belarus reconstructs railway to St. Petersburg, securing sea export route
Belarus has started reconstructing its railway in the direction of St. Petersburg in Russia. A joint railway project with Russia aims to secure an export route through the port of the Russian city for Belarus. The staunch Russian ally has lost alternative routes westward since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to […]
Estonian Operail announces full privatisation in order to save itself
Estonian national rail operator Operail has announced a new business strategy that involves full privatisation. The privatisation is a necessary step to find additional financial sources. According to the company, privatisation will also enable the expansion of operations into foreign markets. Operail has been struggling financially after the implementation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus. […]