Railway transportation of cargo from Russia to Finland totaled 13.3 million tons in January-October 2006 (+7% against year-on-year result), Viktor Stepov, chief of Octyabrskaya Railway (ORW), said at Russian-Finnish logistics forum held in Helsinki Wednesday, ORW’s PR service reports. Stepov said the share of timber in export to Finland made 47% in 2006. A network of basic terminals has been developed jointly with operators for concentration of round timber to be further sent to Finland. Such system is to optimize logistics for both consignors and the railway itself. In 2005, 129 thou tons of timber were transshipped via terminals, while this year the result grew to 161 thou tons. Shipment of timber via terminals resulted in considerable decrease of transportation costs through decrease of shunting operations and wagon demurrage at minor loading stations.
Transportation of iron ore made 22% of total cargo volume in 2006. Cargo flow goes from Karelsky Okatysh (Karelia Iron-Ore Pellets) joint-stock company to Rautarukki plant and Kokkola port. Stepov thinks is would be reasonable to transfer wagon cleaning quality control operations from Russian border stations to port stations of Finnish railways. It would decrease treatment time at border stations.