MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. Russian Railways plans to carry 162.2 mln tons of cargoes over the control section of the Eastern Polygon in 2024, which is 7.7% higher than in 2023, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexey Shilo told reporters.

"We target the figure of 162.2 mln tons, which is 7.7% higher than last year, over the control section," he said.

The plan is to carry 111 mln tons of coal products, which will account for over 60% of carried cargoes, 50 mln tons of non-coal products, over 15 mln tons of containers (9%), 13.4 mln tons of petroleum products (8%), and around 6 mln tons of ferrous metals (4%), Shilo added.

"In the first quarter of 2024 shipments via the control section grew by around 2%," he noted.

Shilo said in an interview with Kommersant daily earlier that 150.5 mln tons of cargoes were carried via the section in 2023.

The Eastern polygon unites the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal Amur Main Line. Now these highways are operating at capacity limits. By the order of the Russian President, the Eastern polygon is being updated. By 2024, it is planned to increase the throughput of highways in the direction of sea ports and border crossings of the Far East to 180 million tons per year.