Bridge in Russia collapses onto rail tracks: Traffic restored in a day

A road bridge in Russia has collapsed onto rail tracks. The debris of the bridge blocked the main rail line between Russia and Belarus. While the consequences for train traffic were initially unclear, traffic on the rail line resumed in about a day. The Paninsky bridge in the Russian town of Vyazma collapsed onto rail…

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…

Czechia warns: Russia is trying to sabotage European rail

The Czech transport minister has warned that Russia is trying to sabotage European rail. The minister said that Russia has made thousands of attempts to destabilise the EU and undermine critical infrastructure since the start of its war in Ukraine. It is not the first time a European official warned of Russian sabotage. Czech transport…

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.…

Russia to spend an additional trillion rubles on ‘Eastern Polygon’ lines

Russia will spend an additional one trillion rubles (10 billion euros) on the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur railway lines. The extra financial injection is part of an infrastructure upgrade plan in Russia’s Far East. On 27 March, Russian Railways and the Russian transport ministry agreed on a framework for upgrades until 2035. The Russian transport ministry,…

Russian Railways’ revenue grows to 3 trillion rubles in 2023

Russian Railways’ (RZD) revenue has grown to 3 trillion rubles (30 billion euros) in 2023. This is an increase of 16 per cent. The growth in revenue is mostly driven by higher income from freight transportation and track access charges. RZD’s head presented last year’s financial data at a meeting with Russia’s transport ministry on…