According to the laws of dual time – Newspaper Kommersant No. 27 (7472) of 02/14/2023

JSC Russian Railways has formed a large-scale plan to increase the export of containers with imported goods from the Far East by one and a half times, up to 6.5 thousand TEU. It provides for measures both to increase the number of double loaded container trains to the east, and to transport containers by gondola cars. In addition, we are talking about the construction of a port in Slavyanka, a large container terminal for 3 million TEU in the future coal port of Sukhodol and a transport and logistics center (TLC) in Kemerovo on a PPP basis. Market participants have different estimates of the feasibility or sufficiency of a capacity of 6.5 thousand TEU per day, but they believe that it is necessary, first of all, to increase the export container traffic.

Russian Railways has developed a program to achieve the export of 6.5 thousand TEU of container cargo from the ports of the Far East per day. As follows from the document, which Kommersant has read, at the same time it provides for an increase in the number of double container trains heading east (up to eight per day), and an increase in the number of trains with gondola cars taking containers out of the ports of the Far East, up to 25 per day. The target date is not specified.

Alexey Shilo, Deputy General Director of Russian Railways, spoke about this approach earlier (see Kommersant dated January 30). He noted that an increase in the number of connected trains would require investments in the reconstruction of stations, and an increase in the export of containers in gondola cars would require investments in access infrastructure, roads and a car park to establish a link between sea and rear terminals, where gondola cars are loaded.

The extension of the station tracks for the passage of eight dual trains is now planned to be included in the investment program of Russian Railways, as well as the development of the Artyshta-Mezhdurechensk-Taishet section, in order to pass them. It is also planned to develop the railway infrastructure of the Nakhodka and Vladivostok junctions.

It is planned to accelerate the development of container terminals in the Far East – both existing within the framework of the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port (VMTP), the Eastern Stevedoring Company (VSK), the Pervomaisky Sea Port of Vladivostok (VMPP), and new ones. In particular, it is planned to build a port in the Slavyanka area in the Primorsky Territory and update the parameters of the Sukhodol container terminal “in terms of ensuring the loading of containers into gondola cars unloaded at the coal terminal of Sukhodol Sea Port LLC.” According to Kommersant, we are talking about the construction of terminal capacities of 3 million TEU there – this volume was discussed in November, the commissioning is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027.

The development of transport and logistics centers in Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg is envisaged, as well as the construction of a logistics center on a public-private partnership (PPP) in Kuzbass, capable of handling 25 container trains in gondola cars per day. Its investor has not yet been identified. To ensure communication between sea terminals and rear terminals, it is proposed to form an additional vehicle fleet in the ports of the Far East, capable of transporting 3.55 thousand TEU per day.

A source in the industry wonders where the volume of 6.5 thousand TEU came from: the maximum is about 3 thousand TEU, he believes. On the other hand, Russian Railways Business-Active believes that “today, the dispatch of 6.5 thousand TEU per day from the Far East is a promising plan on the horizon of the year.” The market shows growth in this direction after the change in the structure of transportation in 2022, they note there, predicting that the trend will continue. Within the framework of the RZD Business-Active program, it plans to send about 5-5.5 thousand TEU from the Far East every month.

Some market participants even believe that 6.5 thousand TEU may be a conservative estimate. “Now it is difficult to say whether it is enough to export 6.5 thousand TEU per day, but if this is a purposeful, well-established mechanism, then I think the situation will improve significantly,” says Alexander Baskakov, director of RTSB-RUS. “Probably, it is also worth reorienting coal transportation to the ports of the North-West, thereby slightly unloading the eastern direction.

FESCO said they are expanding VMTP’s capacity, which will add 1 million TEU by 2025. “Together with Russian Railways, we are actively developing the dispatch of double container trains from the port,” the company notes. “Thus, in January 2023, 12 such trains were sent a week, which is a record figure.” FESCO believes that Russian Railways needs to coordinate the number of trains required by operators and send empty containers to export locations (plants, factories). “Without this, it is impossible to ensure the timely and regular removal of containers with imported cargo from the ports of the Far East,” FESCO is sure.

Making changes to the investment program of Russian Railways aimed at developing the container market is an excellent strategic step, says Sergey Avseykov, Executive Director of the ESP. “There are issues that need to be improved,” he notes. “For example, how necessary is the construction of a TLC in Kemerovo in the PPP format, when there are enough existing and under construction terminals in more densely populated neighboring regions, and without public investment. I would still rely on the departmental project recently updated by the Ministry of Transport together with the ESP.” Also, he believes, it is necessary to include measures aimed at increasing the export of containerized cargo on platforms.

Natalya Skorlygina