Ukrzaliznytsia expects fall in freight traffic in 2025 to 162-165 mln tonnes from 175 mln tonnes last year

JSC Ukrzaliznytsia expects a decrease in freight transportation this year to 162-165 million tonnes from 175 million tonnes last year, when they partially recovered after a drop to 150-155 million tonnes in the first two years of full-scale Russian aggression from 312-315 million tonnes, said Valeriy Tkachev, deputy director of the Ukrzaliznytsia commercial department.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing a degradation of the cargo base. First, we are losing coal, which has always occupied the second, third position, but ... we have lost 122 mines in the first two years alone. And as of today, next year we also see, at best, 162 million tonnes," he said at the expert discussion of the Center for Transport Strategies "Railway Freight Transportation Rates in 2025-2026" on Wednesday.

Tkachev added that ore transportation has also decreased by 4%, grain transportation is decreasing: after a historically record volume of almost 40 million tonnes last year, 32-35 million are expected this year.

"That is, in general, the cargo base ... will not increase significantly thanks to our classic cargo: ore, grain, coal, mining and construction materials," Tkachev concluded.

He emphasized that to correct the situation, an active search for new cargoes is underway, in particular cargoes of retail and small and medium-sized businesses, starting from forest cargoes, industrial products and a large number of other segments.

As he noted, Ukrzaliznytsia has also intensified its foreign economic activity, and the subsidiary company UZ Cargo Poland, established in Poland, is increasing cargo transportation in cross-border transportation several times.

Tkachev added that the company is also focusing on the development of trans-European and cross-border transportation and marginal cross-border transportation.

Among other functions that the company is currently implementing, he highlighted the optimization of its own processes, the reduction of unproductive infrastructure, and the optimization of personnel - primarily the central office of managers, the sale of scrap metal and crushed stone products, and the transition to direct purchases of electricity from Energoatom.