Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service started looking into the causes of railway carriages becoming twice as expensive last year compared with the earlier price. This means a number of carriage manufacturers will be inspected to see if they actually take unfair advantage of their dominant market position. The inspections might involve Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation, Kommersant reports.

The intention to investigate the drastic price increase in 2010 and 2011 was first voiced by Deputy Transport Minister Andrei Nedosekov. He said the government had asked the Transport Ministry, the Ministry for Industrial Trade, and the Federal Antimonopoly Service to find out whether the price growth resulted from the manufacturers abusing their dominant position on the market and the growing demand.

‘FAS will investigate the cases of railway carriage manufacturers just as it does those of the oil businesses that made their jet fuel prices sky-high,’ Nedosekov said, adding that Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service might lay some claims against OAO Uralvagonzavod.