In 2022, Russian Railways was forced to respond promptly to the changes. During the year, loading in the direction of unfriendly countries fell by 37%, in the direction of friendly countries — increased by 23%, including by 28% — to China. This increased the demand for the Eastern Polygon.

Haulage rates have risen steadily by around 5% over 15 months, driven by a mix of economic recovery, global supply chain bottlenecks, rising costs and scarce capacity — particularly of drivers