According to press service of RZD Logistics, freight trains are creating an immense congestion at the borders of China and Europe.
“The key congestion places of container trains are the largest railway border crossing points with the PRC. This is, first of all, Zabaikalsk – Manchuria, as well as Grodekovo – Suifenhe, Makhalino – Hunchun. There are also difficulties at the stations close to border crossings,” states the company.
The press service adds that there is also a congestion of container trains carrying cargo to Russian and European markets in China. For example, trains stand idle in Chengdu, Xi’an, Chongqing for several weeks waiting for dispatch.
The western border of Russia is also recording more stress in the logistics infrastructure. In Kaliningrad region, cars may stand idly in the queue for 6-8 due to the high traffic density in both directions.
Loaded trains also stay idle for several days on the other side of the border – on the territory of Belarus and Lithuania. Due to the renovation works, the train congestion has been observed on the border with Poland, in Malaszewici.
Reasons for train congestion and when the situation returns to normal
The situation is stressed even more by the difficulties with sea containers as, on the one hand, the freight rates have increased several times, and on the other hand, the demand for transportation has grown both due to the deferred demand resulting from the pandemic and the high season before the end of the year and New Year in China.
According to RZD Logistics, the situation will not return to normal before the beginning of 2023.
“We are seeing the global logistics chain re-structuring. This process is quite long and painful, so there is no need to wait for an immediate resolution of the situation. The adjustment of individual elements of the system and the normalization of the situation on different logistics routes will be gradual,” says RZD Logistics.
Sources: TASS, morvesti.ru, tks.ru