OREANDA-NEWS. August 15, 2012. The Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region confirmed legitimacy of the decision issued by the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Leningrad Region (Leningrad OFAS Russia) regarding “Russian Railways” OJSC, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Earlier Leningrad OFAS Russia established that “Russian Railways” OJSC was imposing disadvantageous technical conditions upon “Petrotrans-Primorsk” Ltd. for developing railway tracks in general use and was preventing the company’s entry to the markets of using railway transport infrastructure and oil products transshipment. Such actions of the railway monopolists are in breach of Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (abusing market dominance). OFAS issued a determination to “Russian Railways” OJSC to stop the violations.

“Russian Railways” OJSC challenged the decision and determination of the Antimonopoly Service at the Arbitration Court. The Court, however, dismissed the claim of “Russian Railways” OJSC and confirmed legitimacy of the actions of Leningrad OFAS Russia.

“It is very important for us that the Arbitration Court confirmed reasonableness of our determination, according to which the company must improve the existing procedures for considering and approving the projects for connecting infrastructure facilities under construction of the external parties to railways in general use, in order to exclude discrimination and possible infringement of their rights. The main principles should be transparency of procedures, validity of requirements and an equal access for all interested persons”, emphasized Deputy Head of Leningrad OFAS Russia, Gleb Konnov.