Shippers to pay for idle railcars

摘要

Russia’s parliament plans to pass a law by the end of the year making shippers financially responsible for railcars abandoned on tracks, in a bid to free up more rolling stock for use. The amendments will formalise specific aspects of legislation regarding the movement of empty railcars. These include establishing the principle that firms should pay for the right to leave rolling stock idle on tracks owned by Russian Railways, and strengthening their responsibility for abandoned railcars. It is hoped that these measures will help tackle Russia’s railcar shortage and ease bottlenecks on the rail network.