December 8 2022
The practice of supplying an increased number of container trains can be extended to the beginning of 2023
The increased flow of platforms to the terminal of the Eastern Stevedoring Company (VSC, part of Global Ports) has allowed a significant increase in the export of imported containers. The average daily loading of platforms at VSK was 273 platforms in September. From December 1 to December 7 it reached 328 platforms. As a result, the waiting time for ships to moor has been significantly reduced. If the pace of the the platforms is maintained, the complete “liquidation of the raid” is expected at the end of December, Global Ports told PortNews.
At the same time, the launch of additional trains did not solve the problem of high warehouse occupancy, which is typical for all major container terminals in the Far East. Due to the increased entry of platforms, the volume of exports increased, and imports in the warehouse were replaced by export cargoes, the company explained. According to Global Ports calculations, if the pace of delivery of platforms, including empty ones, is maintained, and export by road is increased, a gradual decrease in the level of warehouse occupancy will begin in the end of December.
The company believes that the extension of the practice with an increased number of container trains to the Far East to the beginning of 2023 will additionally help the terminals of the Far East in the short term to balance cargo flows and ensure a return to a comfortable waiting time for containers to be sent by rail at a level of up to 2-3 days.
To improve the efficiency of cargo handling and increase capacity, VSK Global Ports implements short-term and long-term projects: it purchases additional equipment, redirects equipment from the North-West terminals. In addition, a long-term expansion project for the VSK has been launched.
As previously reported, due to the reorientation of cargo flows in 2022, Russian ports in the Far East faced an overload of their capacities. In particular, according to the head of the Far Eastern Customs Administration (DVTU) Yuri Ladygin, overloading the capacities of the Far Eastern ports, primarily Vladivostok and Vostochny, led to queues of up to 10 ships, waiting for unloading from 2 to 10 days and dispatch from the port – up to 10-13 days.
To resolve the problem, the Ministry of Transport of Russia, together with Russian Railways, set up a headquarters in September to organize the export of containers from the port terminals of the Far East. Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev in order to stabilize the situation with the overloading of the capacities of the ports of the Far East proposed measures such as increasing the tariffs for container transportation in the east direction in 2023 with a simultaneous decrease in tariffs in the ports of the North-West; increasing the number of container trains from the terminals of the ports of the Far Eastern Federal District to 5 units per day; extending until the end of 2023 a discount on the railway tariff for the transportation of containers in open wagons; increasing the number of container trains in the east direction by 3 pairs per day until the end of 2022.
On December 7, RZD reported that the problem had been solved.
Source: https://portnews.ru/news/339844/