Ukrzaliznytsia is working on alternative transportation routes due to the suspension of the ports of Greater Odessa

Due to the refusal of shipowners to deliver vessels to the ports of Greater Odessa, Ukrzaliznytsia has begun working on alternative export routes and expects data from shippers on current destinations. This issue was discussed at a meeting with agricultural market participants on July 22, Rail.insider reports.

An alternative to the ports of Greater Odessa are the ports of the Danube and the western border crossings, which are most interesting for business.

Currently, only 10% of agricultural cargo is exported across the western border, so to increase the throughput capacity of crossings, Ukrzaliznytsia is collecting information about directions that are interesting to shippers in order to develop them first.

Ukrzaliznytsia has 3,850 bogies for reconfiguring wagons to operate on a 1,435 mm gauge, but some of them may need repair, so the company needs to assess the current need for quantity.

In addition, increasing the throughput capacity of border crossings will require the involvement of additional personnel, so it is important for the company to know the priority directions of cargo export.

Market participants, in turn, asked UZ to provide data on the throughput capacity of western border crossings and to discuss with carriers from neighboring countries (in particular, Moldova) the possibility of reducing freight transportation tariffs.