AROUND 11%, or 158,000, of Russia’s wagon fleet were reported as faulty or in need of repair at the end of February, according to local media, a symptom of the broader financial crisis sweeping the national railway.
This is an increase from 86,000 wagons in mid-2025, according to a report in business daily Vedomosti, citing Russia’s Institute of Economics and Utility Regulation. Analysts at the institute say the reserve wagon fleet, which has traditionally been available to ease shortages, has been exhausted. A lack of serviceable freight wagons is now expected in the coming weeks, particularly at major loading points for open and tank wagons.
Poor wagon availability is compounded by a decline in the production of new wagons, which fell 48% year-on-year in January and February to 5800 units, according to data from the Union of Railcar Builders.
In addition, productivity at Russia’s rolling stock maintenance sites is in free fall. According to data from the Federal State Statistical Service (Rosstat), the value of repair services for all types of rolling stock fell 11.6% in the first 11 months of 2025, equivalent to a decline of around Roubles 23bn ($US 305m).
According to preliminary data, demand for scheduled repairs to freight wagons fell by almost 40% in January, with 20,300 undergoing regular maintenance or capital repairs compared with 33,400 the year before, according to industry publication Vgudok. A total of 1100 wagons were overhauled, a decline of 69.6% year-on-year.
Preliminary data also shows total repair volumes for wagons fell 23.5%, while capital repairs slumped by a factor of 2.5. A substantial increase in the cost of major overhauls failed to offset this shortfall in revenue.
Some repair facilities in Russia are reportedly considering suspending operations. And with no significant recovery in repair volumes expected in 2026, the industry is facing a “struggle to survive,” the Union of Russian Railcar Repair Enterprises told Vgudok.
