RUSSIA's FESCO transportation group not only posted better year-on-year numbers in the first quarter of 2010, but also saw some of its businesses surpass the pre-recession levels of 2008, according to Russian Transport Daily Report.

Container volumes in the first quarter increased 22 per cent to 76,671 TEU from 62,422 TEU in the same quarter in the previous year. Throughput at NCC terminals FCT and NUTEP amount to 295,125 TEU, up 31 per cent year on year. Vladivostok Container Terminal handled 62,215 TEU, up 48 per cent year on year.

Break-bulk cargo at Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port increased 63 per cent to 1.8 million tons from 1.1 million tons in the first quarter of 2009. Intermodal traffic grew 126 per cent year on year to 6,728 TEU. Rail box volumes grew 130 per cent to 42,378 TEU.

Freight forwarding service volumes were up 26 per cent to 14,535 TEU from 11,504 TEU in the previous year. Reefer cargo volumes grew 12 per cent to 9,843 TEU. Railway turnover of industrial goods increased 48 per cent to 7.6 billion ton kilometres.

Source: shipping online