In the previous nine months Serbian Railways transported more than 10 million tones of goods, which is 13,5 percent more than the same time last year, and 8,5 percent above the plan. In the last nine months, the revenue of Serbian Railways in freight transport is almost 33 percent higher than in 2005, and 23 percent above the plan, – said Vasilije Krstic, Director of Freight Transport Department at Serbian Railways, in his statement for Media Center of this enterprise.

According to his words, the evaluation is that in 2006 the railways will transport totally 14 million tones of freight, which represents the increase of 11,5 percent, comparing to 2005, with the revenues increased for 29 percent.

They estimate that in 2006 Serbian Railways will have freight transport revenues of approximately 9,1 billion CSD.

Krstic emphasizes that international transport creates 85 percent of the total freight traffic and the revenues.
– We expect Serbian Railways to achieve the revenue of 40 million EUR in international traffic in 2006, – Krstic specifies, and adds:
– Freight transport volume in domestic service could be much higher, but the constant lack of freight wagons impedes us to increase the traffic on domestic railway lines.

Serbian Railways have the lack of approximately four thousand freight wagons, necessary for the fulfillment of all the transport requests. However, the improvement of this situation is expected to happen next year:

– These days we announced a public tender for the lease of 400 freight cars, and being familiar with necessary procedure, we expect great number of these wagons to run on our railway at the beginning of 2007. During 2007 we can also expect another 1100 new freight wagons, provided by the resources from the credit of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Krstic specifies that, besides the great interest in transit freight transport on Corridor 10, it was also notable the increased interest in container transport through our country.

– One of the biggest international companies “Intercontainer Interfrigo” has transferred 500 trains a year from Romanian to Serbian lines. Therefore, Serbian Railways confirmed their competitiveness and service quality in freight traffic, – emphasized Krstic.