TRANSCONTAINER, Russia's top container operator, has containerised coal in bulk in open top containers via Zabaikalsk-Manzhouli border-crossing point, reports St Peterburg's PortNews.
The first train loaded with 3,960 tons of coal was dispatched on January 26 from Russia to China, said a TransContainer press release.
The train was loaded at Priargunsk station, reached Zabaikalsk-Manzhouli border-crossing point in less than a day and then transferred to the Chinese party.
The second train consisting of empty open top containers for transportation of 120 TEU of coal was prepared and dispatched from Manzhouli station to Priargunsk station 150 kilometres away.
Advantages to containerising coal include easing transshipment of the loaded rolling stock via the border-crossing points obviating the need to transship to rolling stock of narrower gauge, eliminating the problem of frozen coal causing the wagons to lie idle for days in winter.
'Containerisation also speeds cargo flow by reducing the burden on infrastructure speeding cargo flow. Most shippers of coal already have coal loading gear to deal with open top containers, since there are no major differences between coal loading in high-sided wagons and coal loading in containers,' said TransContainer president Aleksandrs Isurins.
'We are working out regular dispatches of block trains loaded with coal over the 190-kilometre route between Priargunsk and Zabaikalsk and it is planned to increase the volume to 13,000 tons a month,' said Mr Isurins.
Currently the potential for development of coal product transportation service is being considered by other branches of the company on the territory where major coalfields are located.
SeaNews Turkey
The first train loaded with 3,960 tons of coal was dispatched on January 26 from Russia to China, said a TransContainer press release.
The train was loaded at Priargunsk station, reached Zabaikalsk-Manzhouli border-crossing point in less than a day and then transferred to the Chinese party.
The second train consisting of empty open top containers for transportation of 120 TEU of coal was prepared and dispatched from Manzhouli station to Priargunsk station 150 kilometres away.
Advantages to containerising coal include easing transshipment of the loaded rolling stock via the border-crossing points obviating the need to transship to rolling stock of narrower gauge, eliminating the problem of frozen coal causing the wagons to lie idle for days in winter.
'Containerisation also speeds cargo flow by reducing the burden on infrastructure speeding cargo flow. Most shippers of coal already have coal loading gear to deal with open top containers, since there are no major differences between coal loading in high-sided wagons and coal loading in containers,' said TransContainer president Aleksandrs Isurins.
'We are working out regular dispatches of block trains loaded with coal over the 190-kilometre route between Priargunsk and Zabaikalsk and it is planned to increase the volume to 13,000 tons a month,' said Mr Isurins.
Currently the potential for development of coal product transportation service is being considered by other branches of the company on the territory where major coalfields are located.
SeaNews Turkey