Russia sees trans-Siberia link as main artery for Europe-Japan trade

Russian Railways envisions hundredfold increase in cargo volume

State-owned Russian Railways hopes ultimately to increase rail cargo transport between Japan and Europe by a factor of 100 to 300,000 twenty-foot units. (Photo courtesy of Russian Railways)

YOHEI ISHIKAWA, Nikkei staff writer

July 3, 2019 15:23 JST

MOSCOW -- State-run Russian Railways is on track to significantly expand its freight business between Japan and Europe via the nearly 9,300 km-long Trans-Siberian Railway.

The company is targeting a 100-fold increase in the number of containers it carries annually between Japan and Europe to 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, from about 3,000 TEUs in 2018.