MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Freight loading on the Russian Railways network totaled 94.7 mln tons in April, up 1.9% year-on-year, the holding said.

"Freight loading on the Russian Railways network increased by 1.9% in April to 94.7 mln tons," the statement said.

Russian Railways added that the main drivers of growth were coal (+9.4%), grain (up 1.8 times), and non-ferrous ore (+10%).

Growth in April was driven by the Volga (+13.7%), Far Eastern (+10.6%), Krasnoyarsk (+8.4%), West Siberian (+7.2%), South-Eastern (+4.4%), Kuibyshev (+4.2%), Moscow (+3.2%), and East Siberian (+0.6%) railways.

"Export freight shipments in the eastern direction in April increased by 9.1% to 14.5 mln tons, including fertilizers (+51.4%), oil cargoes (+46.9%), grain (up 3.5 times), coal (+9.5%), as well as non-ferrous ore (+53.7%)," Russian Railways specified.

In addition, freight turnover rose by 4.1% in April. In January - April, total loading amounted to 363.7 mln tons (-1.9%).