FAS: THE RATES FOR PROVIDING GONDOLA CARS HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY 28 PERCENT

Reduction is driven, in particular, by a decrease in metal prices

FAS Russia has been conducting weekly monitoring of the cost of providing wagons since April 2022. It is conducted in order to assess the impact of various factors on market conditions. At the moment, monitoring is organized for various types of wagons and covers the largest operators for export and domestic market deliveries.

According to monitoring data, since the beginning of the year, the rate of provision in the most popular segment – gondola cars has decreased by 28% (from 0.43 rubles/tkm to 0.31 rubles/tkm) and continues to decline today. In addition, some shippers have reduced the rates for providing gondola cars on the spot market by
2 times. As a result, the market rate in some cases is below 1,000 rubles/car/day, which is more than twice lower than the rates at the beginning of 2022.

According to the Authority, such a reduction in rates is due, among other things, to a decrease in metal prices.  It affects the cost of railway wheels and large car casting (side frames, truck bolsters, etc.), as well as other parts for the production and repair of wagons.

The Authority, together with federal executive authorities, is implementing a set of measures to stabilize the price situation on the metal products market.

According to the results of the analysis of information obtained during the monitoring of metal prices, it was found that the current prices in the country for basic types are lower than the same period in 2021 by more than 40%. Monitoring is regularly carried out by the Authority in order to prevent unjustified price increases for metallurgical products and prompt response measures when violations of antimonopoly legislation are revealed.

Besides, the FAS Russia, based on the results of the analysis of the market for the provision of wagons, concluded that the price conditions for other types of rolling stock (tanks for the transportation of oil and petroleum products, grain carriers, mineral carriers) are stable.

The Competition Authority notes that the current situation in the market for the provision of railway rolling stock is characterized by stable pricing. In addition, prerequisites have been created to reduce the cost of such services.