Transportation costs through Moscow could rise by as much as 20% after Russian authorities instructed the national railway monopoly RZD to close the container terminals in the capital’s railway stations.
Nine container terminals are to be closed in the city this year, with major hubs including Moscow-Tovarnay-Smolenskay, Moscow- Tovarnay-Kievskay and Moscow- Tovarnay-Kurskay said to be earmarked for closure in the next few months.
The existing container handling infrastructure in Moscow is too outdated to adequately handle current volumes, according to a government spokesman, and transshipment container traffic by rail through Moscow fell nearly 35% in 2015 on a year-over-year basis as several recently completed beltways made it easier to bypass the city.
The authorities in Moscow have no plans to open new terminals within the perimeter of the Moscow Ring Road, while the building of new container terminals within the Moscow railway junction will be suspended until at least 2020.