A container train route from Muuga to Kaluga is opened

A container train route from Muuga to Kaluga was officially opened on Monday 21st January. Three container trains with Mitsubishi spare parts will be sent from  Muuga container terminal of Transiidikeskuse to the assembly plant in Kaluga every week.

The project preparation, preliminary talks with Mitsubishi and various tests took about 4 years.

“We thank the Port of Tallinn and Transiidikeskuse, both companies have done a very serious and great job. It is difficult to underestimate their contribution to the project. 66 ships (about 722 containers) arrived at the Port of Muuga in the framework of the Muuga-Kaluga container train route project. Cargo traffic In the nearest future will increase appreciably”, said Masayuki Imada, Deputy General Director of Peugeot-Citroen-Mitsubishi plant in Kaluga.

„The container train route from Muuga to Kaluga project is one of the greatest logistics projects, which were ever realised in Estonia“, said Ain Kaljurand, CEO of the Port of Tallinn.

According to CEO of Transiidikeskuse Erik Laidvee, container terminal of Transiidikeskuse in Muuga is ready to ensure the highest quality of stevedoring services.

„Our cooperation with Estonian companies, Port of Tallinn, MTF Logistics, EVR Сargo and  with our Russian partner, Logoper, is very successful. Just such close cooperation helps us to do our work efficiently“, said Laidvee.

„For Russian company operating in Estonia this cooperation project is a serious challenge. We have devoted ourselves to a work on this project, so we will do all to achieve the excellent results”, said Yury Lopusov, general director of Logoper.   He added that Muuga-Kaluga container train project is very important for Russia because realization of the project will help to create a significant number of new workplaces in Kaluga and in Kaluga region.

The ceremony  is also attended by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Eurasia management representatives (Yuki Inanaga and Shohei Yamaguchi), Mitsubishi Motors in Russia general director Yukio Matsumoto, head of the Mitsubishi logistics company Susumu Arimoto and manager of the Peugeot-Citroen-Mitsubishi plant in Kaluga Hiroshi Matsubara. Also the project's partners in Estonia, MTF Logistics, Eesti Raudtee, EVR Cargo and Tallinna Sadam.

Background:
The cooperation between Transiidikeskuse and Mitsubishi started in test regime in October last year. Last year five trains were sent to Kaluga.
Mitsubishi parts will be sent from container terminal of Transiidikeskese in Muuga to  Mitsubishi assembly plant in Kaluga in forty-foot containers (FEU or 2 TEU).  Then empty containers will be sent back to Muuga Port. In Muuga containers will be loaded on the ships and sent to Mitsubishi plant, or will be redirected to another port or used for export cargo  transportation.
Train travel time from Muuga Port to Kaluga is approximately 2 days.
Transiidikeskuse AS is operator of container and general cargo terminals at Muuga Port. In 2012 the operators of Transiidikeskuse handled 2 662 577  tons of cargoes. Container throughput grew by 15% compared with 2011.