OREANDA-NEWS Russian Railways is preparing an investment program for 2024 with a volume of about 1.3 trillion rubles and plans to increase loading by 1.5-2% compared to the previous year, the company's CEO Oleg Belozerov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"Next year, loading is planned with an increase of 1.5-2%. The volume of investments is currently being discussed, it is about 1 trillion 300 billion rubles," Belozerov said.

Loading on the Russian Railways network by the end of 2022 amounted to 1.23 billion tons. According to the latest officially announced forecasts, the company expects an increase in loading by 0.8% in 2023.

The capex of Russian Railways for the current year initially amounted to over 1.07 trillion rubles. It was a record volume. The investment programs of the state monopoly, established in 2003, did not exceed this level in previous years. 

"The general opinion is that if there is an opportunity, we need to be supported as much as possible so that we, in turn, do not restrain the economy," Belozerov added.