PJSC TransContainer (part of Delo Group) is developing regular direct container transportation in open wagons from the Far East directly to Moscow Transportation Hub, thus accelerating freight delivery by eliminating the phase of transshipment onto flatcars while in transit.

The first such train arrived at the company’s own terminal at Kuntsevo-II station on January 10. A 57-open-wagon train (114 TEUs containing consumer goods) departed from Nakhodka station to which cargo-carrying containers from China were delivered by truck from the terminal of Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company (an asset of Global Ports, also part of Delo Group) at Vostochny Port. Transit time was 12 full days. The services entailing transshipment in Siberian cities are associated with longer delivery time.

TransContainer currently also works with customers to arrange for regular container shipments in open wagons from the Far East to Selyatino station in Moscow Region.

There are a few reasons why the containers that are now carried from the Far East open wagons are mostly transshipped onto flatcars in Siberia. First, the owners of open wagons are interested in having them back to coal mining regions for coal loading purposes as soon as possible. Second, the fee rate for provision of open wagons for transportation from the Far East directly to the capital region often makes such transportation cost inefficient. Third, most terminals at Moscow Transportation Hub are reluctant to handle containers in open wagons, unloading of which takes 25 minutes, while with flatcars it takes five minutes at most.

“The use of open wagons in container services is less technology-intensive compared to transportation on flatcars. However, amid the current infrastructure overload in the Far East, this option allows leveling out imbalances between export and import flows and ensuring container removal by rail. That said, direct service to Moscow does not require unnecessary operations, could contribute to speeding up rolling stock turnover and subsequently easing the load on infrastructure,” noted Alexander Podylov, Vice President for Commerce of TransContainer.