Baltic, Cargo, Good for Business, Lithuania, Railways, Transport

The Lithuanian state railway group said that it handled a total of 13.3 million tons of freight during the first quarter, a rise of 13% on the same time last year.

"We have achieved some important victories in the market recently, including our first-ever long-term contract with our strategic partner Belaruskali. We have also concluded a three-year contract with (Belarus') largest nitrogen fertilizer producer Grodno-Azot," Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai CEO Mantas Bartuska said in a press release on Thursday.

"We effectively cooperate with the (Klaipeda) port's cargo handling companies and are launching a new freight shipment route, Amber Train, into the market," he added.

According to figures provided by the Lithuanian company, Latvian Railway posted a 15.4% year-on-year decrease in first-quarter freight traffic to 11.9 million tons and Estonian Railways increased freight volumes by 8.7% to 3.8 million tons.