As reported by Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba, since the start of the year Ukrainian Railways (UZ) has transported 148 million tons of cargo, the greatest volume since the war began. The company has transported consistent volumes over the entire past year. During 2022, this figure reached 151 million tons, and in 2021 – 314 million tons. There are plans to expand the logistics networks with Romania and Poland.
However, UZ head Oleksandr Pertsovsky noted: “We are already recording a trend towards a decline in cargo transportation volumes: forecasts for this year are approximately 174 million tons of cargo, and next year – 165 million tons. Among the main reasons is a decrease in grain transportation volumes.”
He added that active hostilities are unfolding in regions important for the mining industry, and strikes on the energy sector affect metallurgy production processes. Pertsovsky added that if the company does not index freight tariffs, UZ may remain unprofitable in 2025.