Since March 23, 2023, ferries operating on the line have begun to transport not road trains, but only trailers
Oboronlogistics says that ferries operating on the Ust-Luga - Baltiysk railway ferry line have begun to transport not road trains, but only trailers (without tractors), which is expected to further increase the volume of transported goods in cars by 20%. At the same time, the volume of wagons transported by ferries will not change, .
The Ust-Luga - Baltiysk railway ferry line was intended primarily for the transportation of railway rolling stock between Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg, bypassing the territories of limitrophs.
In the summer of 2022, when Lithuania stopped passing goods that fell under EU sanctions, and also imposed restrictions on the passage of trucks from the Kaliningrad Region through its territory, the load on the line increased significantly. Most of the shippers were forced to switch to sea ferry services, which led to the accumulation of wagons and trucks in queues for the ferry.
At the beginning of 2022, new ferries Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky were delivered to the line. Since the introduction of restrictions, the Government of the Kaliningrad Region, the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport, Rosmorport, Oboronlogistics and its line agents have been taking all possible measures to avoid queues and increase the number of cargo transported by ferries.
Currently, three ferries are operating on the line: Ambal, Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky. The fourth ferry Baltiysk is under repair.