Russian freight trains have not been so slow since the 1960s

Russian rail has reached a new antirecord. Freight trains are now going at speeds not seen since the 1960s – that is, rather slowly. Part of the issue lies with an excess in wagons on the rail network, which, despite its efforts, Russian Railways (RZD) does not seem to be able to combat effectively.

When taking idling time into account, Russian freight trains achieved an average speed of 35,7 kilometres per hour in 2024, a new low since 1993. When purely looking at speeds when moving, Russian trains achieved an average speed of 40,6 kilometres per hour, which is the lowest speed since 1960, according to the Moscow Times citing a Russian rail expert.

On average, Russian freight trains in 2024 became between four and five per …