Russian rail maintenance companies are struggling to acquire enough spare parts to service locomotives. They also face a shortage of highly educated staff. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has had to suspend or delay almost 50,000 trains throughout 2023.
In comparison to 2022, the amount of delayed or suspended trains due to a lack of maintenance doubled in 2023. Approximately 42,600 trains did not depart or were delayed because of this reason, according to data from RZD.
Russian servicing companies say they will start preemptively replacing critical parts to prevent malfunctions, according to Russian publication Kommersant. However, analysts point out that a shortage of spare parts prevents a quick solution to the problem. The shortage is induced by Western sanctions. Locomotive repair and maintenance companies are struggling to acquire lubricants, bearings, and electronic components. As a result, they fail to conduct quality maintenance work, leading to locomotives often breaking down on the tracks.
Moreover, the number of delayed or suspended trains due to a lack of train personnel amounted to around 3,700 in 2023. Market players identified this problem as ‘extremely significant’, even if the number pales in comparison to the number of trains affected by maintenance issues. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, approximately half a million men were taken out of the economy for military duty, a number that could increase soon.
Reduced transportation capacity
Russian Railways emphasises that transportation capacity is decreasing due to long maintenance times. The Russian national rail operator plans its services according to the expected amount of locomotives that will be ready for deployment, but the number is lower than expected due to “external factors”.
Most of the problems faced by RZD are concentrated in the Far East region of the country. Over 2 million tonnes of goods were not transported in that area due to a lack of spare parts and a shortage of highly qualified staff in servicing companies in 2023. Throughout 2024, RZD expects that over 20 trains will be cancelled on a daily basis nationwide because of maintenance issues.
Self-sufficiency
The locomotive deficit is aggravated by the reorientation of Russia’s exports to the East following Western sanctions. Exporting eastward requires goods to travel much larger distances, requiring more rolling stock to maintain freight volumes. Additionally, the production of rolling stock is below its potential, as military production has taken priority in Russia’s war economy. Consequently, the price of rolling stock in Russia has doubled throughout 2022 and 2023.
RZD is actively replacing its rolling stock with domestically produced locomotives and wagons. In doing so, it aims to become less reliant on foreign parts and guarantee self-sufficiency. In 2023, RZD purchased 557 new locomotives of Russian production, of which 310 were electric and 247 diesel-powered locomotives.
