OREANDA-NEWS. September 16, 2013. Russian Railways' President Vladimir Yakunin held a conference call, during which he summarised the rail network's operational performance in August and the first 8 months of the year.

Yakunin noted a gradual reduction in the falloff in loading levels compared to the previous year. In total, loading levels for the first 8 months in 2013 were down 3.2 % less than during the same period last year, while the difference for the first 7 months was slightly higher at 3.5 %. Average daily loading in August amounted to 3,467,200 tons, 1.4 % lower than in August 2012.

According to Yakunin, the block speed of container trains in August increased by 62 km per day, a rise of 8 % compared to last year.

Passenger turnover on the infrastructure of Russian Railways fell by 3.2% compared to the same period in 2012, while suburban passenger turnover rose by 4.8 %.

"During the summer season from May to August, Russian trains carried nearly 406 million passengers, including almost 46 million who travelled long-distance, while more than 360 million passengers used our suburban commuter services. We also carried 6,426,000 passengers to resorts in the North Caucasus and 1,952,000 to the Crimea during the summer season," said the president of Russian Railways.

During the conference call, special attention was focused on the emergency situation in Russia's Far East, which has been badly hit by heavy flooding.

"In these very difficult conditions, the Company is not only ensuring the smooth functioning of the railway infrastructure, but is also able to help the victims," said Vladimir Yakunin.

According to Yakunin, the Company's employees evacuated children from the disaster areas, while schoolchildren were taken to Company health camps. Russian Railways also ensured the delivery of humanitarian aid and made train coaches available to people who had been evacuated.

In addition, Yakunin mentioned that work groups from Russia's Far Eastern Railways had taken the initiative to provide financial assistance to the flood victims. An account was opened at the Company for the donation of charitable funds.

"Our task is to quickly provide the necessary transport of goods by rail to the affected areas," said Vladimir Yakunin.