OREANDA-NEWS. On July 30, 2007 Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL) announced that Mecheltrans OOO has increased its own rolling stock fleet more than tenfold over the last four years from over 300 cars in 2003, to over 3,600 cars today, reported the press-centre of Mechel OAO.  

Mecheltrans OOO is the transport subsidiary of Mechel OAO and the main railway carrier of the company's products. The increase was achieved to support the subsidiary’s strategic program of increasing shipment volumes both within the company and to third parties.

A general forwarder of the Russian Railways (RZhD OAO), Mecheltrans OOO is one of Russia’s top ten railway carriers. Besides having its own rolling stock, Mecheltrans OOO is also capable of using about seven thousand cars of other operators.

Mecheltrans OOO started its operations in 2002, and since then has transported over 130 million tonnes of cargo, the bulk of which has been black coal, iron ore concentrate, and metal products. Products are shipped to markets both within Russia, the CIS, and other foreign countries. Export products are shipped to the countries in Europe, the Near East, and the Asian and Pacific regions. A considerable part of cargos is transported via Mechel’s trade port facilities: Trade Port Posiet and Port Kambarka.

“Mecheltrans has invested in expanding its rolling stock and is developing various promising types of carriage today. It is creating favorable conditions to attract new cargoes, specifically by applying a flexible tariff policy, new logistic schemes of transporting, and broadening its shipping range. Increasing the rolling stock permits Mecheltrans to increase the volumes of cargoes transported and significantly extend cargo flows geographically,” – Mecheltrans OOO General Director Alexander Starodubov commented.