In September, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) increased the volume of cargo transportation in all types of traffic by 3% compared to the same period last year, to 12.035 million tons, according to preliminary data, the press service of UZ reported on the company’s website.
“The overall growth in transportation was due to a 35.5% increase in domestic freight traffic, up to 7.896 million tons,” the statement said.
At the same time, export transportation by rail in September decreased by 31.2% compared to the same period last year – to 3.578 million tons. In particular, exports of grain cargo decreased almost threefold to 1.072 million tons. At the same time, the volume of iron and manganese ore exports increased by 50.5% in September compared to September 2022, to 1.453 million tons, the report says.
In September, imports by rail decreased by 18% to 518.5 thousand tons, while transit traffic, on the contrary, increased by 2.3 times to 43.2 thousand tons.
In terms of the range of cargoes, mineral building materials are the leaders in terms of volumes: in total, their transportation increased by 77.3% in September 2023 compared to the same period last year – up to 3.310 million tons. In domestic traffic, the growth was 88% to 3.087 million tons.
“September cargo transportation showed a slight increase in total volume, however, for objective reasons, we have negative indicators of export transportation, in particular, strategically important grain cargo. “Ukrzaliznytsia once again emphasizes its readiness to transport all the necessary volumes and calls on partners from neighboring countries to jointly develop railway logistics between countries and strengthen business relations,” the statement quoted UZ Board member Vyacheslav Yeryomin as saying.
Earlier it was reported that in January-August, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) transported 10.5% less cargo than in the same period last year – 94.9 million tons. At the same time, in August the volume of transportation amounted to 12.3 million tons, which is 13.8% more than in August last year.
Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) has addressed to the carriers with a request to increase transportation through Hungarian border crossing points (BCP), which are currently underutilized and have reserves for cargo transfer, Deputy Director of Commercial Work Department of the company Valery Tkachev said on Tuesday at the online meeting with Hungarian carriers.
According to him, in June a total of 1,789 cars were handled at Chop-Zakhon crossing point and they transported 95.8 thousand tons of cargo of different nomenclature: on average this crossing in both directions handles 59.6 cars per day (w/w), including 51 cars for export from Ukraine.
Comparing June indicators with May ones, Tkachev noted an increase of cargo flow at this gateway by 13 w/c, or 27.4%.
UZ representative reminded that during last four months the maximum level of cargo traffic through Chop-Zakhon was registered in March – 83 car/cargo.
Tkachev noted that to date the main nomenclature of the crossing “Chop-Zakhon” grain, which in June was transferred at 50.5 r/c.
According to his information, there are 4 carriers at this intersection. The biggest is Rail Cargo Hungary (RCH), which in June handled 904 cars at a rate of over 30 b/c. RCH’s largest nomenclature is grains (707 cars), apart from which 85 cars with containers and imported oil cargoes were handled.
MMV Magyar Maganvasut Zrt (MMV) handled 421 wagons at the Chop-Zahan BC in June at a rate of 14 v/c. Grain also accounted for the bulk of the cargo – 370 wagons, and oil cargo imports also accounted for a significant share.
Magyar Vasuti Aruszallito Kft. (MVA) handled 402 cars at 13.5 v/c, of which 377 were loaded with grain.
CD Cargo Hungary accounted for 62 cars of grain cargo in June
“As for Chop-Zakhon, we don’t see any queue on the wide gauge (1524 mm), the narrow gauge (1435 mm) is dealt with. That is, I personally do not see any problems with the transfer and with the work of “Chop-Zalkhan”,” – said Tkachev.
According to UZ in June in Batevo-Epereshkoe 3 731 carriages with 252,3 thousand tons of different nomenclature were processed. On average, 121 v/c was dispatched from Ukraine for export, while 3.5 v/c was received. In total, this joint handles 124.4 v/c.
“For Batevo-Epereshka, we see a significant slump and a drop in cargo work of 28.5 v/c, or 18.6%. If we look at the grain group, we transfer an average of 20.6 v/c through this crossing. Last month this figure was almost 26 v/c. We in March, for example, handled 94 grain v/c. Today, unfortunately, “Batevo-Epereshka” only about 21 c / c, “- said Tkachev.
According to his information, two carriers – MMV and RCH – work at this junction. MMV handled 19 v/c: in June 247 out of 565 cars most of them were used for oil.
In turn, RCH on “Batevo-Epereshka” in June handled 3166 cars with 215,2 thousand tons of various cargo types, including the ore – 1945 cars, grain – 531, coal – 205. Its average daily rate is about 105.5 v/c.
“There are only 385 cars moving in the Batevo-Epereshke direction, including 196 with ore, 30 with grain, 25 with cake and 26 with oil. The junction is underloaded, as “Chop-Zakhon”, so there is an opportunity to increase”, – added Tkachev.
He also noted that a total of two Hungarian crossing handle the largest volume of grain per day – more than 70 cars.
“This is more than all the joints of Poland (four BCPs), Romania and other countries. That is, today Hungary is the leader in handling grain cargoes,” – stated Tkachev.
JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) in May 2023 transported 1836 thousand tons of grain cargo, which is 33% less than a month earlier, said deputy director of the department of commercial work UZ Valery Tkachev at a meeting with representatives of agrarian business on Thursday.
According to his information 1147 thousand tons of grain cargo were sent for export last month, which is 46% less than in April. In domestic communication 683 thousand tons were transported, which is 16% less than in April. Average daily loading in May was 44 thousand tons.
“Two factors influenced the reduction of transportation – the blocking by the aggressor of the “grain corridor”, which affected the delivery of goods by rail to ports, as well as the blocking of exports through “solidarity corridors” by European countries, which led to a halving of cargo handling through the western borders of Ukraine”, – explained Tkachev.
He added that UZ is ready to increase transportation, for which it has sufficient resources.
According to the operational data of UZ, in the first week of June 2023 the volume of grain cargo loading was 380 thousand tons, or 15% of the total cargo. Average daily volumes of transshipment during this period amounted to 54 thousand tons, which is 2.2 times higher than in April.
According to Tkachev, the actual average daily volume of agricultural cargo transshipment through the border crossings in June 2023 increased by 90 cars compared to May. Grain cargo increased by eight cars per day.
A UZ representative said that 9,740 railcars, of which 1,084 railcars with grain cargoes, are heading toward the western border. The queue for agricultural commodities has decreased by 343 cars (24%).
“Wagon congestion is ‘dissipating,’ thanks to the balancing of border loads. As long as the grain corridor works, the load on the western borders is reduced. Also transfer through European countries became more active”, – UZ representative explained.
Speaking about the transshipment of grain at the Ukrainian-Polish border, Tkachev said that in May at the checkpoint “Yagodin-Dorohusk” average daily passed 17.3 cars with grain, crossing “Izov-Grubeshov” – 20 per day, crossing “Mostiska-Medica” – 22.13 per day. At the Romanian BCP “Vadul-Siret-Dornesti” average was 47.7 w/c with grain, BCP “Dyakovo-Halmeu” – 8.5 w/c.
At the Ukrainian-Hungarian border, grain cargo transshipment in May at BCP “Chop-Zakhon” was 39.5 per/c, at BCP “Bat’ovo-Betereshki” in May transshipment of 25.6 per/c was recorded, the maximum rate in May – 93.9 per/c.
“For all Western BCPs, if we analyze the statistics of the last five months, there is a sagging of shipments from one and a half to five times. The remaining restrictions on exports with the permission of transit significantly affect the export of grain through the western borders,” – summarized Tkachev.
The head of UZ reported that, as of June 8, 2023 in the direction of the ports of Greater Odessa moves 2663 railcars with grain cargo. The average daily unloading in June is 493 cars with grain. Unloading waiting time (queue) is 4.9 days.
As of June 8, 1,656 railcars with grain cargo are bound for Port Ismail. Since May 29, the queue decreased by 23.48%. The average daily unloading for June was 122 grain cars. Unloading waiting time (queue) reaches 11.3 days.
“The work of the “grain corridor” today is difficult to predict, the aggressor country constantly changes the number of inspections of ships and puts forward different requirements, in addition the work of the port “Southern” is blocked. The situation in the port of Izmail remains difficult because of the large accumulation of cars. Loading in the port direction is planned taking into account the processing capacity of consignees/operators, but due to weather conditions they unload significantly less than planned volume,” UZ noted.
Ukraine has received about 90,000 tons of in-kind aid, such as equipment and medicines, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since the start of the Russian invasion, DW reported.
“This is by far the most complex, the most extensive and the longest operation under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in the history of its existence,” said European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, quoted by the newspaper.
He said assistance was provided with food, medicine, vehicles, generators, transformers and equipment to repair power grids and other critical infrastructure.
“We even delivered items such as sunflower seeds and equipment to protect cultural monuments,” Lenarcic said.
In addition, more than two thousand patients and wounded from Ukraine have been treated in more than 20 EU countries, the commissioner added.
Ukraine officially joined the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on April 20, 2023. Within the framework of this mechanism, the EU states and other countries cooperate in preparedness and response to crises and disasters.
Thanks to the Mechanism, Ukraine has received assistance before, just like any other country in the world following a request. As a member of the Mechanism, Ukraine will have access to expert exchanges, training programs and exercises, and will be able to provide assistance to countries in crisis.
On May 9 the sea port Izmail fulfilled the annual plan of cargo handling in the amount of 6.187 million tons, which is a record in the history of the port, said the head of the State Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine (SAPU) Yuri Litvin.
“The first position in the nomenclature of cargo of the seaport of Ismail in terms of the volume of transshipment – bread cargo, in the second – other agricultural products (oil, meal, sunflower seeds), in the third – pellets,” – said the agency on Facebook.
According to it the biggest volume of cargo handling was demonstrated by Izmail Sea Commercial Port SE (2.656 million tons), Dunaysudoremont PJSC (1.289 million tons) and Dunaysudoservis IRP PJSC (805.0 thousand tons).
The capacity of the port for the export of agricultural products has increased due to the introduction of berths for cargo operations with grains and vegetable oils by new terminal operators – JSC “Dunaysudoservis”, PJSC “Danaysudoremont”, PJSC “IPCK”, as well as due to the construction of a new terminal by “Nibulon” JV LLC, added AMPU.
“Increase of throughput capacity of Izmail sea port, which today handles a significant share of Ukrainian export, was facilitated by restoration of navigation in the mouth of Bystroe, increase of the water area of MF “Izmail” and dredging works in the port water area,” – Litvin said.
He emphasized that the Danube cluster is a key alternative route of export-import logistics, which is a priority for the further development of AMPU.
As reported, last year the transshipment in the port of Ismail increased to 8.89 million tons from 4 million tons a year earlier.
The volume of transshipment of cargo in the Danube ports by the end of this year may increase up to 20 million tons against 16 million tons last year, which is three times more than before the war, predicted Deputy Prime Minister – head of the Ministry of Reclamation Alexander Kubrakov in late April. Of these, 16-17 million tons are agricultural products.
Three dry cargo ships carrying corn and sunflower seeds left Ukrainian ports on Friday, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reported.
“Three ships left Ukrainian ports on December 2, carrying a total of 106,500 tons of grain and other agricultural products under the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” the report said.
Vessel Aspasia Luck is transporting 63 thousand tons of corn to China, Sea Inspiration is delivering 26.5 thousand tons of corn to Italy. Lady Perla dry-cargo carrier will carry 17 thousand tons of sunflower seeds to Bulgaria.
Three vessels, which passed through the sea humanitarian corridor on December 2, are also on their way to Ukrainian ports.
“As of December 2, the total tonnage of grain and other agricultural products exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 12,713,836 tons. A total of 1,031 vessels have been allowed to move so far: 515 to arrive at Ukrainian ports and 516 to leave them,” the report said.
