Business Briefs: Freight Drought, Passenger Boom
Estonian Railways carried 1.17 million euros worth of freight in July, 32.9 percent less than a year ago in the same month.
The contraction hit oil hard, with petroleum product transport amounting to 0.46 million tons, a 58.4 percent decrease. The amount of oil shale transported also also dropped. The decreases were partially compensated by an increase in the amount of fertilizer and chemicals transported.
For the year in progress, what had been a 20 percent annual shrinkage in rail transport increased to 23.9 percent overall through July. Petroleum product transport has decreased an annual 37.4 percent in the first seven months.
Transit goods made up 73 percent of the total, and has decreased 27.6 percent annually.
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In July, the Port of Tallinn set an all-time record in number of passengers - 1.26 million.
The seven-month figure is also an all-time best - 5.67 million. The number is up 5.7 percent compared to the first seven months of 2013.
As to goods, 2.13 million tons passed through the harbors in the port system in July, 7 percent less.
Liquid cargos were the largest category, 1.4 million tons, which was 10.8 percent less than July 2013. Bulk goods fell 23.8 percent, to 186,000 tons.
But the figure for the seven-month period was 17.37 million tons of goods, which is 0.9 percent more tham in the same period in 2013.
Oil and other liquid cargoes fell, but fertilizer transport was up.