Cargo turnover of Latvia Railway down 8.5% in January-September
Cargo turnover of Latvijas dzelzcels (Latvia Railway) amounted in January-September 2006 to 37.317 million tons of cargo (-8.5% against year-on-year result), RZhD-Partner reports. Import amounted to 30.097 million tons (-9.8%) including 26.301 million tons of cargo having passed via Latvian ports (-11.6%); transit by land – 3.957 million tons (-2.9%); domestic – 1.679 million tons (-8.3%); export – 1.584 million tons (+4.6%), including 1.024 million tons of cargo having passed via Latvian ports (+34.7%). Transportation of oil and oil products amounted to 13.853 million tons (-13.1%), coal – 11.326 million tons (-2.9%), mineral fertilizers – 3.848 million tons (-28.1%). In September LRW handled 3.475 million tons of cargo – (-22.7% against last year September) including 1.138 million tons of oil and oil products (-30.7%); coal - 988 thou tons (-26.7%). According to Erik Shmukst, head of LRW’s cargo transportation department, the company attributes decrease of oil transportation to decline of Russia’s and Byelorussia’s export of oil, and the decrease of coal volumes by lack wagons for its shipment and corresponding export ban. In 2005 cargo turnover of Latvijas dzelzcels amounted to 54.861 million tons (+7.4%).
