OREANDA-NEWS. The International Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation (CCTT) has been continuing its 16th plenary meeting in Saint-Gallen, Switzerland. Over 250 participants from 23 countries are taking part in the session.

In his presentation, Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, said that the intensive economic development in Russia and the European Union and the increase in commodity trade between Asia (especially China) and Europe were leading to a steady rise in goods traffic on the Trans-Siberian Main Line.

In the first 8 months of 2007 alone, 381,707 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TFEs) were transported along the Trans-Siberian, 53% more than during the same period in 2006, including:
134,834 TFE containers between Russia and China, up 43% on 2006,
132,420 TFE containers between Russia and South Korea, up 79% on 2006
29,016 TFE containers between Russia and Japan, up 41% on 2006.

Vladimir Yakunin called on all members of the CCTT to undertake joint efforts to contribute to an increase in the transit traffic along the Trans-Siberian.

“An important condition for the restoration and growth of transit volumes is the implementation of a balanced tariff policy by all participating partners – railway companies, ports and shipping companies ,” emphasized Yakunin.

One way of solving this problem was put forward at the CCTT session, namely a proposal to remove regulation on transit tariffs and create a supranational organ composed of representatives of the major players involved with the Trans-Siberian and officials of the countries affected.