When it comes to rail transports, Kazakhstan is an important partner to Latvia, says Latvian Railway (LDz) board chairman Rinalds Pļavnieks, and the proof of this is the increased volume of freight delivered this year.
Growth is observed in the grain products, chemicals, metals and other freight sectors. LDz is interested in continuing the development of routes connecting Europe and Central Asia using Latvia’s and Kazakhstan’s transit potential.
In the first eight months of 2023 the total volume of freight carried between Kazakhstan and Latvia on the railway was 1.7 million tonnes. Although there was a drop in transports of coal,
the volume of carried grain freight has gone up 3.5 times (208 000),
the volume of chemical freight has gone up 2.3 times (22 000 tonnes) and the volume of metals and ferro-alloys has gone up 1.9 times (234 000), LDz representatives say.
This week – 4th to 6th October – TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2023 Exhibition continues in Kazakhstan. Latvia’s Pļavnieks has already met with the head of Kazakhstan’s Railway company Nurlan Saranbayev. The two have discussed topics related to possible improvements to the railway freight transport sector, future cooperation perspectives, existing challenges, as well as the use of electronic consignment notes between Latvia and Kazakhstan to improve the quality of customer services and optimise business processes.
Latvia’s Ministry of Transport participates in the exposition under the brand VIA Latvia alongside the biggest Latvian transit businesses, including LDz, LDz subsidiaries (LDz Cargo, LDz Logistics, LDz Rolling Stock Service) and other representatives of Latvia’s transport corridor.
As previously reported, LDz turnover in the first half of 2023 was EUR 127.438 million, which is 7.6% more when compared to the same period of 2022. The company’s losses went up six times and were EUR 2.656 million, according to information from the company.
Latvian Railway is a public-use railway infrastructure management company and the leading company of Latvian Railway Company. LDz includes companies like LatRailNet, LDz Cargo, LDz Rolling Stock Service, LDz Security and LDz Logistics.
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