en.Wedoany.com Reported - Russian Railways (RZD) reported freight volume of 548.9 million tons in the first half of 2026, down 1% year-on-year, but June's monthly freight volume reached 90.2 million tons, up 1% year-on-year, marking the third consecutive month of positive growth.

According to data released by the RZD press office on July 1, key drivers of freight volume growth in June included: coal volume up 11.1% year-on-year, grain transport up 36.5%, and copper ore transport up 10.8%. Cement and timber freight volumes saw positive growth for the second consecutive month, rising 6.7% and 4.2% respectively. Iron-manganese ore, scrap steel, and fertilizers also entered growth territory, increasing by 3.7%, 3.4%, and 0.2% respectively.

In June, eastbound railway freight exports reached 14.5 million tons, up 10.5% year-on-year. Among these, fertilizers grew by 14%, petroleum products by 21.7%, metal ores by 21.9%, grain by 14.3 times, coal by 9.2%, chemicals by 43.5%, and containerized cargo by 4.3%.

From April to June, Russian rail freight volumes grew consecutively: up 1.9% in April, 0.5% in May, and 1% in June. Freight turnover grew even faster—up 4.1% in both April and May, and 4.5% in June. The faster growth in turnover compared to volume is mainly due to the continued shift of Russian logistics toward longer routes, such as eastward directions, resulting in increased transport distances.