Freight transportation by inland water transport (Russian market)

2024: The volume of river cargo transportation for the year reached 104.6 million tons

The volume of river cargo transportation in Russia in 2024 reached 104.6 million tons. This was announced on March 4, 2025 by the Ministry of Transport. The data was announced at a meeting of the Council of Legislators of Russia. During the discussion, they also noted that transshipment work in river ports during this period amounted to 114.8 million tons.

The head of the Ministry of Transport, Roman Starovoitov, also reported a significant increase in passenger traffic on inland waterways. In 2024, 11 million people were transported along the rivers of Russia, which exceeds the indicators of 2023 by 3.8%.

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Фото: Freepik

According to the Marinek group of companies, river transportation traditionally plays an important role in the transport infrastructure of Russia. Due to the strategic position of the country with an extensive network of rivers and reservoirs, such as the Neva, Volga, Don, Yenisei and Lena, cargo is transported from remote regions to large industrial centers and ports.

Water transport demonstrates environmental benefits in the face of increasing carbon footprint reduction requirements. River transportation is characterized by lower carbon emissions per ton of transported cargo compared to road and rail transport, making it more attractive to companies seeking to comply with environmental regulations.

The growth of river traffic is also associated with the active development of infrastructure. In Russia, investments in the modernization of river ports, terminals and auxiliary facilities have increased in recent years. The introduction of modern navigation and fleet management technologies contributes to the attractiveness of water transport for shippers.

River transportation also plays a key role in foreign trade. Uninterrupted delivery of goods through inland waterways allows you to optimize logistics processes and reduce the cost of transporting goods, which is especially important in the context of economic challenges.^[1]

2013

According to the results of the first half of 2013, the volume of cargo transportation in the domestic water transport of the Russian Federation decreased by 5.4% compared to the same indicator in 2012 and amounted to 105.7 million tons. However, in general, according to experts' forecasts, by the end of 2013, the volume of freight transportation by inland waterways will remain at the level of 2012.

Experts suggest that the restrictions imposed on the transportation of goods by federal roads by trucks weighing over 12 tons, as well as the rise in the cost of rail freight tariffs, with the simultaneous participation of the state in updating the fleet and developing the river port infrastructure, will soon make river transport a good alternative, allowing for the most profitable cargo transportation.

Emphasizing its interest in the development of this segment of the freight transportation market, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation in the fall of 2013 prepared and presented a strategy for the development of inland water transport of the Russian Federation until 2030. According to this strategy, the consolidated growth of the freight base of inland water transport in the implementation of the innovative scenario of economic development may amount to 298 million tons by 2030, under the conservative scenario - up to 205 million tons, that is, 2.1 times and 1.4 times higher than in 2012.

2012

According to the DISCOVERY Research Group, the share of the domestic water transportation market in 2012 was only 1.7% in the total volume of cargo transportation and 1.6% in the total cargo turnover of Russia. In physical terms, the volume of cargo transportation by inland water transport in 2012 amounted to 142 million tons, which is 12.2% higher than in 2011. Freight turnover is 81 billion t-km, which is 35.9% higher compared to 2011.

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