In the first seven months this year, Serbian Railways achieved the incomes in freight section of approximately five billion Dinars, which is 20 percent higher than planned, and 29 percent more than the same period last year, – stated Dragica Mandić, Director of Freight Traffic Department of Serbian Railways.
According to her words, this significant increasing of incomes in freight traffic is the result of much greater transport volume in 2006.
From January till July, Serbian Railways transported 7,7 million tones of goods, which is 9 percent higher than the same time last year, and about 5 percent beyond the plan. In the period of seven months Serbian Railways achieved in total 2 billions 350 million net-tonne kilometers, which is the main indicator of our work volume, and it is around 13 percent above the plan and 19 percent more than last year, – emphasizes Mandić. Only from the transit, Serbian railways earned 1,8 billion Dinars this year, which means 24 percent more than last year and 11 percent more than planned. Import and export freight transport, as well as the incomes achieved, are also increased, while only the transport of goods in internal and common traffic with Montenegro are slightly decreased comparing to the last year and the plans, mainly because of the lack of wagons and locomotives.
Currently, Serbian Railways do the transport mostly for the needs of US Steel from Smederevo, transporting every day, around five thousand tones of coke in one hundred wagons from all directions to Radinci. At the moment, we also do the transport of coal for the plant “Kolubara”, vinegar acid from “MSK” to Bar, import of liquid oil gas, metal plates from Prahovo for Macedonia, and we are starting the preparations for the transport of grain, sugar and sugar canes.
We are doing huge transport for the needs of one of the biggest international forwarding agents “Prodos”, whose trains are being classified in Makiš from mid Jun. We returned a great number of transit “shuttle” trains from Romanian to Serbian railways, and we also revived the section between Sid and Vršac, which had 35 direct Italian transit trains in the past few months, – specified Mandić.
According to her words, in order to satisfy the needs of Serbian economy for the railway freight transport, we have a daily lack of 500 freight cars, mostly for mass transports. The announced lease of 400 foreign freight cars, as well as the provision of 1.100 new freight wagons from the credit of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development of 58,5 million Euros, will certainly help Serbian Railways to increase significantly incomes and work volume, and respond more efficiently to the needs of domestic economy.
