In its annual financial report released last month, RZD's overall
freight volume was down by 15% to 1.1 billion tonnes, with construction
materials and timber heaviest hit. In December, though, the 95.7
million tonnes transported was an 11% increase on the same period in
2008.

On its passenger services, there were a total of 1.13 billion journeys
in 2009, a 12.5% fall from 2008. Of this, 119.8 million journeys were
long-distance, an 11.8% decline, while suburban services also
experienced a notable decline with passenger numbers falling by 12.6%
to 1.01 billion.

In light of the economic uncertainty, RZD's overall investment totalled
268.2 billion ($US 8.9 billion) last year, a third less than in 2008.
This included investments totalling 60.4 billion in rolling stock,
including 355 locomotives, 695 passenger railcars, 643 passenger
coaches and 292 freight wagons. The high speed Moscow-St Petersburg
Sapsan service was also inaugurated while investment in rail transport
to serve Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, remains
extensive with 54 Desiro suburban trains at a cost of €580 million
ordered from Siemens.

RZD has released its target model for the freight transport market up
to 2015. The model calls for further investment in infrastructure and
the development of the operator market favouring the creation of
carriers with fleets of more than 200,000 wagons, while prioritising
the development of private freight operators. RZD also plans to sell
stakes in subsidiaries up to 2012, with the aim of making investments
more attractive in an unstable market.