News
The 21st plenary meeting of the Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation （CCTT） was briefed when the Trans-Siberian Intermodal Operators Association of Japan （TSIOAJ） met on Oct. 18, 2012.
During the CCTT meeting, which was convened in Finland on Sept. 27-28, President Vladimir Yakunin of the Russian Railways （RZD） said the volume of containerized shipments handled on the Trans-Siberian Railway （TSR） was 560,000 TEUs in 2011, growing 27% from a year earlier. He added it is this year expected to increase 23% from the previous year.
He also said the RZD, a major transport route linking Japan, China and South Korea with Europe, is developing plans to enhance its service in partnership with European Union （EU） members.
TSIOAJ President Tetsuo Komaki also gave an address at the CCTT meeting. Quoting the speech made by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation （APEC） meeting, the TSIOAJ president paid close attention to the TSR and in particular, the effort the railway is making to reconstruct its transit system.
He emphasized that Japan will in the future focus on developing bilateral trades between Japan and Finland and between Japan and the Commonwealth of Independent States （CIS）.
Exports from Japan to Russia and other CIS members swelled 11% from a year earlier in 2011 and are projected to rise 20% this year.
At a time when Japanese companies are relocating production bases in Southeast Asia, the TSIOAJ will develop extensive logistics systems and networks, regarding the TSR as an important transport route in the global supply chain, Komaki said.
