rzd Freight Traffic Has Fallen to Its Lowest Since 2009 Amid Sanctions and Economic Slowdown in the rf

At the end of 2025, freight traffic on the rzd railway network fell by 5.6% – the lowest figure since 2009. The decline has continued for the fourth year in a row after falling by 3.7% in 2022, by 0.1% – in 2023, and by 4.1% – in 2024. The official statistics also shows a 1.8% decline in freight turnover, indicating not only lower volumes but also a decrease in the average distance of transportation. According to industry analysts, the real scale of the problem may be significantly greater than the one reflected by the reported data.

The decline was recorded in 13 of the 15 key cargo categories. The sharpest decline was in ferrous metallurgy: transportation of ferrous metals fell by 17.7%, and of scrap metal – by 32.2%. There was also a significant decline in the segments of industrial raw materials (-16%), construction materials (-10.5%), grain (-12.2%), and forestry products (-5.9%). Energy supplies also declined, in particular oil and petroleum products – by 5%, and coal – by 2.1%.

This trend is a consequence of Western sanctions and the general slowdown in economic activity in russia. As a result, there was a decline in network load and a deterioration in financial results: in January–September 2025, the company recorded a loss of US$55.8 million and reduced its investment program for 2026 by 24%. Cost optimization already involves the curtailment of infrastructure projects and renewal of rolling stock, which speeds up further deterioration of the technical condition of the railway network against the background of the weakening russian economy.