Another derailment on Russia’s railway network has disrupted critical Russian coal export flows. In February, eleven coal cars derailed on the Khilok-Gyrshilun section of the Trans-Baikal Railway, leading to a temporary suspension of traffic along the vital Trans-Siberian mainline.
This marks the third major incident of its kind this month. Previous derailments occurred at the Korfovskaya station in the Khabarovsk region (16 cars) and on the Gydachi-Gonzha section in the Amur region (35 cars). Each disruption halts eastbound traffic for hours or even days, creating cascading logistical failures.
The Trans-Baikal line is a primary transit corridor for Russian coal shipments to Far Eastern ports. In 2025, all coal from the Trans-Baikal region was transported exclusively to export terminals. Despite this, export volumes from the region have declined, falling from 5.6 mio t in 2024 to 4.7 mio t in 2025.
These recurring accidents, compounded by routine winter operational restrictions due to extreme frosts, create chronic schedule disruptions. This directly reduces the volume and predictability of shipments of high-calorific thermal coal and PCI coal to key Asian markets, exacerbating the shortage of high-quality material in global trade.
Source: CCA
