Russian Railways battles road transport as freight shifts from rail to trucks
Russian Railways (RZD) faces challenges in the freight market. Road transport is gaining ground, with metal product shipments increasingly shifting from rail to road. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport plans to adjust the Platon system fee.
RZD's loading figures showed a positive trend in September–October 2025, with October marking a slight uptick (+0.1%, 96.9 million tons). However, the company is concerned about competition from road transport for freight. Road freight surged by 4.7% year-on-year in September 2025, while rail freight volumes fell by 6.8% in the first nine months of the year. Road transport saw a 1.3% increase during the same period.
Metal product shipments are increasingly moving from rail to road. Railways' share of these shipments has fallen from 75% in 2018 to 51% in the first five months of 2025. RZD believes this growth in road freight is largely due to short-haul shipments between warehouses. Some major shippers have also shifted certain volumes to road transport, according to RZD.
RZD considers road freight statistics opaque and lacks clear answers by product category. The Ministry of Transport plans to gradually phase out the 49% discount for users of the Platon system, with the fee rising to 5.1 rubles per kilometer starting February 1, 2026. Truckers have complained about the Platon system this year, citing erroneous fines due to electronic warfare (EW) system interference.
RZD must address the growing competition from road transport to maintain its market share. The planned increase in the Platon system fee may further impact this competition. Clarifying road freight statistics by product category could help RZD better understand and respond to these market dynamics.
