Russian Railways (RZD) is demanding a restriction on the excess of freight cars on the network due to infrastructure overload. The country has a record number of rolling stock — 1.38 million cars, of which about 400,000 are idle, creating congestion and reducing transportation efficiency.
RZD has proposed that operators sign agreements on regulating the use of wagons to remove surpluses and speed up their turnover. However, so far only FGK and "Ugol-Trans" have agreed to this, while other companies criticize the initiative, comparing it to the methods of the planned economy of the USSR.
The problem is exacerbated by the continued growth in the production of new wagons in 2024–2025. RZD believes that the key to the solution is not in increasing the fleet, but in optimizing logistics. Without urgent measures, the network may face a transport collapse.
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