The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) has officially confirmed the extension of the 10% surcharge for the carriage of empty wagons. Introduced as a temporary measure in 2024, it now remains in place for 2026. The indexation of tariffs for container transportation by 5% was also approved.
These steps, according to the FAS, are aimed at financial stabilization of the Russian Railways model and ensuring investments in the development of transport infrastructure. Losses from empty flights last year amounted to almost 210 billion rubles. At the same time, the current tariff, according to Russian Railways, covers only 60% of the costs of organizing these shipments.
The company hopes that maintaining the surcharge will not increase the cost for end customers, but on the contrary will become an incentive for operators to optimize logistics. However, some market participants disagree with this. Railway operators and large shippers, including representatives of the metallurgical industry, warn that such measures are pushing businesses to switch to motor transport.
According to estimates by the Institute of Problems of Natural Monopolies, about 5 million tons of metal products have already left the railway in favor of road transportation. Rental rates for gondola cars were forced to drop to historic lows in order to retain customers. Container operators, in turn, point out that the difference between road and rail fares continues to grow.
Russian Railways emphasizes that the current system does not allow for operational management of the carriage fleet — operators are not legally integrated into the technological chain of transportation. In addition, the company points to the need for investments in security and infrastructure modernization, which also requires additional sources of financing.
Meanwhile, experts note that the indexation will especially hit raw materials companies, where the volume of empty mileage is high. At the same time, the transportation of finished products to the same wagons after unloading the raw materials may suffer the least. Experts do not rule out that such a tariff policy will strengthen the trend towards the transition of second and third class goods to more flexible automobile routes.
Against this background, the decision of the FAS and Russian Railways to maintain the surcharge does not look like a temporary measure, but as a new reality that all market participants will have to take into account.
