Construction of key INSTC rail section in Iran begins in early 2024
rasht-astara railwayThe Rasht-Astara railway line is a key missing link along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which aims to connect Russia and India. According to Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, construction of this...Read more
How far is the INSTC in reaching its volume targets?
Cargo transit via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) has already exceeded 10 million tons this year. The Iranian Deputy Minister of Transport and Urban Development, Shahriyar Afandizadeh, shared the information. With this figure in...Read more
Ukrainian SBU allegedly launches multiple attacks on Russian rail
During an operation deep in Russian territory, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) detonated explosives, which impacted freight trains and parts of railway infrastructure at three different points. All three attacks occurred on the eastern part...Read more
Rail freight in China-Russia Far East borders grows thanks to new bridge
Rail freight volumes moved between China and Russia through the Far East increased by 22 per cent in the first ten months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, as Russian Railways (RZD)...Read more
Finland closes all border crossings to Russia but one to be used for rail
The Finnish government has decided to shut down all its eastern border crossings adjacent to Russia. The decision’s implementation starts today, Wednesday, 29 November. Only one gateway will be left open between the two countries:...Read more
Fesco to build a new terminal on Russia-China border
Russian logistics giant Fesco is planning to build a container terminal in Zabaykalsk, near the Russian borders with China and Mongolia. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev “instructed Russian Railways (RZD) to speed up the...Read more
RZD continues offering discounts on the INSTC and other routes
Russian state-owned railway company RZD introduces another round of discounts along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The company established an 8,9 per cent discount on grain transport along the corridor, which will apply for...Read more
China-Russia electric car transport volumes increasingly turn to rail
This year seems to be the year of rail for electric vehicle (EV) transport between China and Russia. The Russian Federal Customs Office revealed that Russian electric vehicle imports increased by 250 per cent in...Read more
Vietnam and Russia want to bring rail freight volumes back to pre-2022
Delegates from Russia, China, and Vietnam met to discuss the development of rail freight connectivity between them. Since 2022, in fact, containers moved by rail on the Hanoi-Moscow axis have been dropping significantly.Read more
LTG Cargo suspends luxury cars re-export amid fear of sanction violation
Lithuania’s national rail freight company LTG Cargo will stop re-exporting luxury cars to third countries from 1 December. From now until then, these services will be subject to enhanced checks. The decision was taken among...Read more
Russia is building a railway to Crimea through Ukraine
Russia is building a railway that will connect Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukrainian border, with the Crimea region, which the country annexed to its territory in 2014. The line is expected to pass through some of...Read more
Russian rail freight sector grows steadily this year
The Russian rail freight sector is steadily growing this year thanks to its almost complete re-orientation in the Eastern direction and the ongoing adaptation of Russian economics from the sanctions and their consequences.Read more
Iran and Russia want to invest 36 billion euros in the INSTC
Iran and Russia claim to be ready to invest around 36 billion euros in the development of trans-Caspain lines along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Concerning Iranian investments mentioned on rail freight, they include...Read more
China-Russia bridge now open for Russian container trains
The Nizhneleninskoye-Tongjiang railway bridge, connecting China and Russia in the Far East, is now open to container trains coming from Russia. On the Russian side, the bridge had so far been used for transporting bulk...Read more
China’s BRI plans signal a renewed opportunity for the Silk Road
ANALYSISThe Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held last week in Beijing, functioned as a platform for China to communicate its BRI and Silk Road aspirations. Multiple mentions of railway development and the...Read more
Russia-China rail freight volumes keep skyrocketing
Rail freight volumes between China and Russia are continuing to increase. Over the first nine months of 2023, more than 128 million tons were transported via rail between the two countries. This signals a 51.5...Read more
BAM and Trans-Siberian expansion accelerates despite sanction impact
RZD is preparing to launch the third stage of modernisation for the BAM and Trans-Siberian routes, the world’s longest rail lines. In 2024, RZD will complete the second expansion stage of the Eastern Railways range,...Read more
North Korea-Russia rail activity increases rekindling cargo concerns
Increased activity in the Tumangang rail facility on the border between North Korea and Russia is once again concerning experts. The possibility of ammunition being transported between the two countries is not verified. However, the...Read more
‘Stranded containers in Russia could disrupt China-Russia supply chain’
Around 150,000 surplus containers are stranded in Russia due to trade volume imbalances, according to container logistics monitoring platform Container xChange. The imbalance is supposedly caused by the rise of imports from China and the...Read more