According to PJSC TransContainer (part of Delo Group) forecast growth of container transportations in Russia will continue with an average pace of more than 4% a year, said first vice president of the company Valery Veremeev having the floor at XVII International forum and exhibition Transport of Russia.

“Current year is very positive for our segment. The growth will reach some 14% and volume of the railway market will be 7.4 million TEUs. Estimations given earlier this year were more moderate – about 5%. That means that the dynamics is above all optimistic expectations. For the last decade since 2014 volume of containerized cargo transportation has grown by 2.3 times -it started at 3.2 million TEUs and it is an average 10% growth YoY. Despite of turbulences containerization shows success at our segment. The growth will continue. As a prospect, taking into account, moderate estimations at 4-4.5% of growth we will be able to reach 12 million TEUs by 2035”, he said.

According to Valery Veremeev potential for import increase will remain in a mid-term outlook, but strategically export transportations will be of a higher importance for the Russian consignors which will stimulate their growth.

At this point higher demand will require company for proportionate enlargement of terminal infrastructure and its adjustment for a new architecture of logistics, which was shaped by challenges of recent years. “In the upcoming three years we plan to increase our terminal capacity by nearly 50% up to 3.5 million TEUs”, first vice president of TransContainer said.

Particularly due to strengthening of the Eastern vector of the foreign trade the company is working on options of development of transshipment facilities in Primorye. As a result of evaluation of market potential two projects of inland terminal development in the region have been shaped – at Uglovaya station (city of Artem) and in Nakhodka.

At the same time by 2026 TransContainer plans to reconstruct its key terminals in Siberia – at Kleshchikha (Novosibirsk), Bazaikha (Krasnoyarsk) and Batareinaya (Irkutsk) stations in order to reduce effects of disbalance between import and export flows in the Eastern part of the country.

In the Urals due to limited opportunities of enlargement of its terminal at Ekaterinburg-tovarniy station the company plans development of a new site adjacent to Sedelnikovo station. Moreover, talks with open wagons owners have been held to identify optimal location of a terminal development for handling of containers moved in open wagons. As a result of talks TransContainer is working on a project of construction of a new site at Yurga station in Kemerovo region. It is expected to become the major hub for container transshipment from open wagons to flatcars for their further westbound transportation.

Another significant trend is growth of importance of the Moscow transport hub. In mid 2010s only 20% of container handling operations in Russia were performed at MTH (transit excluded) and by now its share has grown up to 30%. TransContainer plans to realize construction of two terminals in the South of Moscow region – in the framework of Usady TLC project and in surroundings of Chekhov.

According to Valery Veremeev along with the future development of terminal facilities alternative routes to congested Eastern route have to be developed. Mainly it is about restoration of services on Chinese direction via North-West of Russia and by deep sea. Freight rates become more attractive having decreased since 2023, so that volume of shipping on that route may raise by 30%.

Another promising route is international transport corridor North-South, the pace of its development will probably be not limited to forecasted 15 million tons a year till 2030: market demand is higher. TransContainer evaluates prospects of the Northern Sea Route as well, with the development of service this route can be offered to customers.

Development of terminal infrastructure as well as of alternative transportation routes will allow company to meet demands of domestic economics in logistics in full and with best quality, Valery Veremeev believes.