More than 19.7 million tons of cargoes were shipped on the East-Siberian highway in the first quarter of 2006
More than 19.7 million tons of cargoes were shipped on the East –Siberian railway (VSZHD) in the first quarter of 2006 that is 4.3 % above similar figures of the last year, RZHD-Partner IA reports referring to RZHD PR Department. The main share of shipment over East-Siberian railway falls on iron ore, coal, industry complex products, and building and oil cargoes. Thus, from January till March more than 5.1 million tons of coal, 2.5 million tons of iron ore, almost 6.2 of oil cargoes, more than 3.4 million tons of timber cargoes and 598.8 million tons of building cargoes. In March shipment of industrial raw material reached there highest rate 26.3 %, more than 95.7 thousand tons were shipped. Shipment of iron ore increased by 11.6 % to 889 thousand tons and wood cargoes increased by 7.2 % (more than 1.2 million tons). Over the last year transportation of crude oil to China over East-Siberian railway for March grew by 7.4 % to 751 thousand tons. Growth comparing to the similar period of the last year totaled 7.4 %. From the beginning of the current year volumes of transportation of crude oil over VSZHD through the border crossing Zabaykalsk have increased considerably. Thus, more than 1 million 710 thousand tons were transported through this border crossing for the first quarter of the year that exceeds all figures of the last year by 53.5 %. 550.8 thousand tons crude oil was transported through Zabaykalsk in March (+22.9 %). More than 550.4 thousand tons of crude oil was transported through border crossing Naushki for three months of the current year, including 200 thousand tons in March. In order to provide the increasing volumes of transportation, VSZHD modernizes a bulk-oil station in Angarsk junction (Suchovskaya) and border station Naushki (small junction Dozornyj). As a result of modernization of an infrastructure, East-Siberian railway will be ready to transport 11 million 880 thousand tons of crude oil to the Peoples Republic of China already in 2006.