The rail freight traffic from Russia to Estonia in August hit a record low level of 16.1 freight trains per day, a 50% decrease, year-on-year, Estonia's national railway company said Monday according to RIA Novosti.
In August 2006 the average rail freight traffic stood at 30.5 trains per day, Eesti Raudtee (EVR) said.
A total of 200 railway employees have already been fired as cargo traffic from Russia continues to decline, the company said.
The EVR said the volume of goods from Russia to Estonia has dropped 30% in four months following the April events surrounding the Bronze Solder’s relocation that soured diplomatic relations between Moscow and Tallinn.
However, Russian officials said the recent decline was due to the reconstruction of railway lines.