Russia cannot import quarter of usual freight due to problems with railways

Logistics problems caused by the emergency reorientation of trade to the East are only getting worse. This year, at least a quarter less imports than planned were brought to Russia by rail from the Far East.

Source: Moscow Times

Details: Due to problems with rail exports, Russia was unable to import about 80 million tonnes of freight in January-October 2024, which exactly coincides with the decrease in exports from Far Eastern ports as compared to the expected figures.

All this time, Russian Railways has been lagging behind its own monthly traffic schedule by at least 25%. As of December, the gap remains, so the result for the year will be the same: minus a quarter.

Due to massive locomotive breakdowns, the number of abandoned trains increased 2.4 times to 42,600 in 2023.

In addition, the company is experiencing an acute staff shortage. According to freighters, Russian Railways’ most frequent problem, in addition to the lack of locomotives, has been a shortage of personnel. The monopoly lacks locomotive crews and almost all technical staff.

Background: Russia is facing growing difficulties in delivering goods to China via its eastern railway network, a sign of wider economic problems caused by the war and sanctions, despite the Kremlin's assurances that everything is fine.

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