FAS did not support the new tariff for the modernization of BAM

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) opposed the proposal Russian Railways to introduce a separate investment tariff for the transportation of coal along the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur-Vanino section. About it informs RBC with reference to the letter of the Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Petr Ivanov dated March 20, sent to the Ministry of Transport and Russian Railways. The authenticity of the document was confirmed by interlocutors in the coal mining and transport companies.

Ivanov noted that, according to the documents for the development of the infrastructure of public railway transport, the use of different tariffs for certain cargoes and directions for financing infrastructure projects is not provided. The letter also refers to the already adopted decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service on additional tariff indexation and revision of tariff surcharges. Also, the department has introduced point solutions for individual shipments, Ivanov clarifies. According to him, the increase in tariffs for export transportation of coal, including to Vanino and Sovetskaya Gavan, “has already amounted to 57%, with an average indexation for other cargoes of no more than 30%.”

The press service of the Ministry of Energy also noted that they do not support the investment tariff initiative. The Ministry of Transport pointed to the non-public nature of the issue and clarified that no decision had been made on this issue. A source in Russian Railways said that the issue is being worked out, but “it is no longer on the agenda.”

In mid-March, Russian Railways calculatedthat in order to complete the work envisaged in the second stage of the BAM and Transsib modernization program on the Komsomolsk-Vanino section on time, it is necessary to increase the tariff for shippers at the Vanino-Sovgavansky junction by 15% from 2024 for three years. According to the company, the overall growth should be 28%, it is planned that part of it will be financed by loans.

As explained to RBC in Russian Railways, the government set the task for the monopoly to find additional sources of funding.