Belarus and Russia to boost railway transportation

On meeting Belarus’ PM Roman Golovchenko in Minsk, the Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board of Russian Railways JSC, Oleg Belozerov, informed that Belarus and Russia discuss an increase in the volume of cargo transit through the two states’ territories

“Co-operation on railway transportation is actively progressing. We enjoy good historical relationships and have unique technological capabilities. Many colleagues envy us, while specialists are learning from our experience. The speed of transit movement through the territory of Russia and Belarus is several times higher than in Europe: a container passes 1,000km a day on average – against about 200km in Europe. Transit is now extensively increasing. Transportation by sea has risen in price, while the situation in the Suez Canal has confirmed that land transportation is most reliable. We now aim to increase our transit to 1m containers (from the current 600,000),” Mr. Belozerov said.

Speaking of a possibility to transport Belarusian potash by rail to the Murmansk port, the Russian official noted, “We discuss all issues with our colleagues – having no secrets but very good interaction. Therefore, we’ll discuss any issue on the agenda.”

Mr. Belozerov added that the passenger traffic is reviving now and high-speed daytime trains running between Minsk and Moscow enjoy an increasing popularity. Moreover, there are plans to increase the passenger flow by adding five more cars to a train. “We aim to further combine our efforts to create the most comfortable conditions for our passengers and we’ll probably study an opportunity of creating a joint company,” he said.