OREANDA-NEWS. July 18, 2013. “Russian Railways” OJSC executed a determination of the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Perm Region (Perm OFAS Russia) and transferred 2,415,000 Rubles to the federal budget obtained illegally by violating the antimonopoly law.

The decision and determination on the case initiated by the Antimonopoly Service were issued on 2nd October 2012. В действиях “Russian Railways” OJSC is a natural monopoly on the market of technical inspection of railway cars. FAS found that the company violated the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”: it breached the established pricing procedure charging for freight car inspections and creating discriminatory conditions for economic entities wishing to use the procedure.

Under the “Rules of Operating and Number-Specific Registering of the Company’s Freight Cars”, “Russian Railways” OJSC had no right to charge separately for the service. Without a Technical Inspection Act, freight cars could not complete re-registration procedure and, accordingly, run on tracks in general use. Also the company charged some economic entities while providing technical inspections to other entities for free.

“Russian Railways” OJSC disagreed with the conclusions of the antimonopoly body and tried to challenge the decision and determination at Court. Perm Regional Arbitration Court and then the 17th Arbitration Appeal Court confirmed legitimacy of OFAS actions.