MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Freight loadings on the network of Russian Railways could total 1.132 bln tons by the end of 2026, according to a statement on the holding’s official Telegram channel.
"Freight loadings on the Russian Railways network in 2026 are expected to reach 1.132 bln tons," the statement said.
The company noted that there is currently a surplus of rolling stock on the network: the fleet exceeds 1.4 mln units, at least 200,000 of which are considered excess.
"Systematic joint work with rolling stock operators to improve the efficiency of using loading resources has delivered tangible results," Russian Railways said. The average railcar turnaround time on Russian Railways infrastructure fell to 13.58 days in 2025 (down 0.72 days from 2024), while sectional speed increased by 8.4%. "By the end of the year, the share of loaded shipments delivered on time reached 99%," the holding added.
In addition, last year shippers submitted applications to transport 2.251 bln tons of cargo, while actual loadings amounted to 1.1158 bln tons. As a result, a significant volume of cargo was not accepted due to overstated plans on a number of routes. "We are ready to examine in detail the reasons for underloading in each specific case and, together with shippers, seek the most optimal solutions for all parties," Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov was quoted as saying.
The holding put forward a number of measures to improve performance. These include addressing complex situations at mass loading and unloading sites by seeking technological solutions to redistribute cargo flows and prevent the introduction of conventional restrictions; fine-tuning the allocation standards for empty railcars to avoid slowdowns in the movement of specialized rolling stock; and implementing a flexible approach to forming container trains, allowing their dispatch on certain routes with available capacity in consists ranging from 57 to 71 cars.
Deputy Transport Minister Alexey Shilo, also quoted in the statement, noted that the government has placed rail freight transportation under special oversight. "The Ministry of Transport informs relevant agencies about loading losses in specific industries to enable prompt responses and the search for solutions to bring cargo back to the rail network," the statement said.