OREANDA-NEWS. August 16, 2013. The Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad region upheld the decision of Leningrad Regional OFAS to fine “Russian Railways” OJSC 44.5 million Rubles.

Earlier Leningrad OFAS established that “Russian Railways” OJSC was forcing disadvantageous technical conditions upon “Petrotrans-Primorsk” Ltd. for developing public railways and was preventing company’s entry to the markets of using the infrastructure of railway transport and oil products transportation. Such actions by “Russian Railways” OJSC violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Law “On Protection of Competition” – abusing market dominance.

OFAS issued a determination to “Russian Railways” OJSC to stop violations and fined the company 44,535,027 Rubles.

The railways challenged the fine at the Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad region. The Court, however, dismissed the claim of “Russian Railways” OJSC and confirmed the rightness of the actions taken by the antimonopoly body.

“This is a very important case for us. We are satisfied with the Court support. This is the largest fine imposed by OFAS within five years of OFAS existence”, emphasized the Head of Leningrad OFAS Vadim Vladimirov.

“Russian Railways” OJSC appealed the decision and determination issued by Leningrad OFAS on the case. At the end of July 2013 the Collegium of the Supreme Arbitration Court (SAC) refused to transfer the case to SAC Presidium for reconsideration.