Russia says cargo shipments by train fell 3.8% in 2022

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This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Russian cargo shipments by train fell 3.8% year-on-year in 2022 to 1.23 billion tonnes, national railway operator Russian Railways (RZhD) said on Monday, as unprecedented Western sanctions over Ukraine hurt Moscow's ability to export goods.

The figure - which measures the volume of goods transported on Russia's rail network - turned out to be better than the double-digit drop Moscow had expected, RZhD said.

Timber shipments fell the most - by 24.8% year-on-year, RZhD said, while grain shipments declined by 4.8% in 2022 after plunging 25% in the first quarter.

The volume of goods shipped for construction increased by 5.7%, it added. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, Writing by Caleb Davis, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)