RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) released its financial results for the first half of 2018 on August 29, with revenue, including from its 192 subsidiaries, increasing by 7.6% to Roubles 1.16 trillion ($US 16.1bn), compared with Roubles 1.08 trillion during the same period last year.

RUSSIAN prime minister Mr Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on August 15 to conclude a concession agreement to build the Northern Latitudinal Railway (NLR), with the contract awarded to SPC Concessionaire, a special project company that will be responsible for financing, constructing and operating the line under a concession agreement, that will be signed no later than September 8.

Rail freight traffic between China and Europe has grown rapidly since China introduced a range of measures, including subsidies, to make rail more attractive to shippers. David Briginshaw reports from the UIC Global Rail Freight Conference in Genoa on the prospects for the market.

RUSSIAN Railways’ (RZD) GT1h-002 prototype liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled turbine-electric locomotive has completed a series of test runs on the Surgut - Korotchaevo line in western Siberia hauling trains with a gross weight of up to 9000 tonnes.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) subsidiary Federal Passenger Company (FPK) has awarded Tver Carriage Works (TVZ) a contract to supply 293 coaches.

AROUND 319,000 fans used the free trains operated by Russian Railways (RZD) during the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia until July 17, with 734 free trips scheduled along 31 routes between the 11 host cities of the football matches.

Russia’s passenger rail sector is experiencing dramatic changes in its regulatory environment as the government looks to spur a rolling stock renewal programme by encouraging market competition. Ilya Tereshko, deputy head of the Railway Research Division at the Institute for Natural Monopolies Research (IPEM), explains what this could mean for services in the future.