Russia records lowest monthly loading in at least five years

Loading on the Russian railway network has declined by 6,3 per cent year-on-year in September. In total, the country loaded 94,5 million tonnes of goods, which is the smallest volume in at least five years.

The decline in loading fits a long-term pattern in Russia. Every month of 2024 has recorded loading volumes that were lower than its equivalent month of 2023. However, September 2024 saw the smallest amount of goods loaded in Russia since at least January 2019, according to information published by Russian Railways.

The only other month when loading dropped below 95 million tonnes monthly in the previous five years was January 2024, when it amounted to 94,8 million tonnes.

Alongside loading, turnover also decreased by similar numbers. In September, it amounted to 198,9 billion tonne-kilometres, a drop of six per cent compared to the same period of 2023. The turnover decline suggests that Russian Railways has not been able to compensate for the lower loading volumes by transporting goods over longer distances as traffic to and from China replaces Russia – Europe traffic.