RUSSIAN intermodal operator TransContainer will shut down its Slovakian subsidiary and terminate its lease five years early on the Dobra intermodal terminal located 10 kilometres from the border with Ukraine.
The move comes as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in more Eurasian rail freight being routed via Belarus or Kaliningrad, further reducing the volume of containers handled at Dobra that has an annual handling capacity of 250,000 TEU.
The Dobra terminal was designed for rapid transshipment of containers between the 1,520 mm Russian guage railway and 1,435 mm standard gauge rail networks, UK Railway Gazette reported.
In December 2008 TransContainer agreed to a 15-year lease on the 18-hectare facility from ZSSK Cargo, with a view to developing a Eurasian landbridge corridor serving central and southern Europe, with through services linking Moscow and the Adriatic ports.
The initiative was seen as a precursor to the proposed broad-gauge railway to Wien and Bratislava. However, it was not until November 2009 that TransContainer started its first train service to Dobra, conveying traffic from South Korea, and volumes passing through the gateway have never met expectations.
At the end of last year, Russian Railways sold its majority stake in TransContainer to logistics specialist Delo Group, which has since been reviewing the operator?s business to focus on growth opportunities.
WORLD SHIPPING
The move comes as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in more Eurasian rail freight being routed via Belarus or Kaliningrad, further reducing the volume of containers handled at Dobra that has an annual handling capacity of 250,000 TEU.
The Dobra terminal was designed for rapid transshipment of containers between the 1,520 mm Russian guage railway and 1,435 mm standard gauge rail networks, UK Railway Gazette reported.
In December 2008 TransContainer agreed to a 15-year lease on the 18-hectare facility from ZSSK Cargo, with a view to developing a Eurasian landbridge corridor serving central and southern Europe, with through services linking Moscow and the Adriatic ports.
The initiative was seen as a precursor to the proposed broad-gauge railway to Wien and Bratislava. However, it was not until November 2009 that TransContainer started its first train service to Dobra, conveying traffic from South Korea, and volumes passing through the gateway have never met expectations.
At the end of last year, Russian Railways sold its majority stake in TransContainer to logistics specialist Delo Group, which has since been reviewing the operator?s business to focus on growth opportunities.
WORLD SHIPPING