Russia resumes rail freight services to North Korea after two years
Rail freight services between Russia and North Korea have been reinstated for the first time since 2020, when they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first train left Russia and will reach North...Read more
EDB: ‘INSTC potential not limited to Russian involvement’
The frenzy noted lately around the International North-South Transport Corridor is not only limited to Russia’s benefits through it. The INSTC has been projected as the Russian lifeline during the past months after the western...Read more
Rail war: 3,330 ammunition-loaded wagons between Russia-Belarus
Russia and Belarus have exchanged over 100,000 tonnes of ammunition via rail between February and September 2022. The Community of Railway Workers of Belarus’ Telegram channel, belzhd_live provided specific data on the amount of ammunition...Read more
Zangezur corridor: Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement seems far
After the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed in November 2020, the two countries have been discussing the creation of a railway corridor that would reconnect them, called the Zangezur corridor. However, the two countries...Read more
Who are these rail guerrillas that sabotage the tracks in Russia?
The explosion on the railways of Russia near the border with Belarus was claimed by the guerrilla group Stop the Wagons, and it was not their first act of resistance. Who are these ‘rail guerrillas’,...Read more
Transport blockade could cost Armenia’s INSTC position and strengthen Azerbaijan’s
The issue of the transport blockade imposed on Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey could prove detrimental to the country’s position in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) backed by Russia. Alexei Overchuk, the Russian deputy...Read more
Rail guerrillas in Russia bomb railway section to Belarus
A railway section near Novozybkov, close to the Russian borders with Belarus and Ukraine was damaged by the deployment of explosive devices. The damaged tracks are part of an important line connecting Bryansk, in Russia,...Read more
Finland’s VR will stop rail freight traffic to Russia by the end of the year
VR Group, the Finnish state-owned railway company, said it will stop the transportation of goods to Russia by the end of 2022. In April, VR Group claimed that rail freight traffic between the two countries would...Read more
Aftermath of Kerch bridge: rail freight comes to the rescue, for now
While reparations are being carried out on the road section of the Kerch bridge in Crimea, traffic of goods on the bridge has been moved on the rail. As Russian Railways (RZD) posted on Telegram,...Read more
Where does Kaliningrad traffic stand currently?
UPDATEDevelopments regarding rail freight traffic to and from Kaliningrad via Lithuania peaked during the summer, but the situation has stabilised. In the sanctions’ aftermath, volumes have dropped, payments must be taken care of by customers...Read more
Russia to develop transport hub in Iran, rail investments on the agenda
Iranian officials are becoming more certain regarding Russia’s involvement in domestic infrastructure projects. Of course, Russia will not invest in Iran for the country’s sake but to develop the transport links spanning from its territory...Read moreFreight traffic resumed after bomb blast on Crimea Bridge
Rail freight traffic has resumed on the Crimea Bridge, which was temporarily closed due to a truck bombing on Saturday 8 October. The bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia has a truck...Read more
Russia-India corridor now goes east, middle and west
The eastern branch of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a fact. Six trains are currently en route overland, from Russia to India via Turkmenistan and Iran. These trains indicate the increased interest...Read more
It should be Russia’s rail to hydrocarbons, but funding is hard to find
The Belkomur railway line is the Russian response to the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, and all the more important for Russia considering its shift of export and import flows towards Asia, and the reduction...Read more
TransContainer links Northern Italy to Russia with frequent service
A new route between Milan’s Melzo intermodal terminal with destinations in Russia commences on 22 September. The service begins with a frequency of one weekly roundtrip. TransContainer Europe is the company behind the new service,...Read more
Record-breaking traffic on Russia-India corridor, but where is the train?
Record volumes are transiting through the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) this year, but it has little to do with rail. Shipments are passing through Iran by truck, as the railway network in the...Read more
Russian Railways wants 2 more border lines to China in Far East
Russian Railways wants to open additional border crossings for rail traffic in the Far East. The border point of Zabaikalsk-Manchuria does not provide enough capacity to match the growth expected, it said. Russian Railways is...Read more
Baku declaration hints at much-needed investment in INSTC
A trilateral statement signed between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran could be the starting point to fill the railway infrastructure gaps along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The Baku statement, as the three partners call...Read more
FESCO’s volumes grow thanks to eastbound trains
FESCO, the Russian intermodal transport operator, has moved record-setting volumes in the first half of 2022. Numbers have increased for both international and intermodal transport. The company has also registered a minor decrease in TEUs...Read more