Russia refuses to send 'most' rail freight to Latvia

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Latvia’s opposition to a Russia-led initiative to build a new gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany may be responsible for a 90% drop-off in rail freight volumes, according to Reuters. Citing sources and a Latvian official, the report claims state-owned Russian Railways (RZhD) has refused “most” requests to take cargo from Russia to ports in Latvia. In many cases, it says, customers were offered no explanation. When Reuters asked for comment, RZhD denied any restrictions, claiming it looks at each request on a case-by-case basis.