“Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) plans to make a net profit of UAH 7 billion in 2023 after a net loss of UAH 9.6 billion in 2022, acting CEO Yevhen Lyashchenko said at the final meeting of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure’s team with diplomatic missions and the public in Kyiv on Tuesday.
According to him, in 2023, UZ will receive a record revenue of UAH 99.6 billion over the past five years, UAH 82.1 billion of which will be accounted for by freight transportation, UAH 8.4 billion by passenger transportation, and UAH 9.1 billion by other revenues.
According to the data provided by him, in 2022, UZ’s revenues fell to UAH 75.7 billion from UAH 86 billion in 2021 and UAH 90.4 billion in 2019.
In particular, revenues from freight transportation last year decreased to UAH 63 billion from UAH 72.3 billion a year earlier, passenger transportation – to UAH 5.9 billion from UAH 6.2 billion, and other revenues – to UAH 6.8 billion from UAH 7.5 billion.
Lyashchenko noted that the implementation of measures to optimize operations helped UZ to reach profit in 2023, and 70% of operational purchases by value are already made under direct contracts with manufacturers.
According to the CEO, in particular, since March 2023, UZ has saved more than UAH 1 billion on diesel fuel purchases by adjusting fuel standards and procurement practices.
Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has announced the arrival of a batch of trucks to Poland by rail from Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian and Polish parties have agreed on all issues of transportation and customs and border procedures. The trucks will continue to their destination by road,” UZ said on its Telegram channel on Sunday.
The company emphasized that the next shipments are planned to be regular and involve more modernized platforms in transportation.
UZ reminded that it had organized a container train between Ukraine and Poland to transport trucks. It runs on the route Sknyliv (Ukraine) – Slavków (Poland). To order the transportation of a truck by a container train from Ukraine, you need to contact the Liski Transport Service Center branch of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC, and in the opposite direction – UZ Cargo Poland.
As reported, UZ sent the first container train with trucks to Poland on December 7. In this way, Ukrainian exporters tried to solve the problem of crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border, which had been blocked by Polish carriers for a month.
In November 2023, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC transported a record 14.13 million tons of cargo, which is 33.8% more than the average monthly volume of traffic during the year, said Valery Tkachev, Deputy Director of the Commercial Department of UZ, at a meeting with agricultural exporters on Thursday.
According to his information, 6.08 million tons were transported in the export direction in November, which is 24.7% more than a month earlier. This is also the highest figure in 2023.
“The main growth was due to the partial resumption of cargo shipment from the ports of Odesa,” explained Tkachev.
It is specified that in the structure of export transportation in November 2023, the first place was taken by grain cargo – 2.43 million tons (39.9%), the second place was taken by iron and manganese ore – 2.32 million tons (38.1%), and the third place was taken by ferrous metals – 0.41 million tons (6.7%).
In addition, in January-November 2023, the volume of grain cargo transported by UZ amounted to 19.989 million tons, which is 150.6 thousand tons, or 0.8%, more than in the same period of 2022. In November, the company exported 2.43 mln tonnes of grain cargo, up 40.4% (700 thsd tonnes) compared to the previous month. The structure of November cargo transportation of agricultural products was dominated by corn – 1,406.0 thsd tonnes (57.8%), wheat – 514.0 thsd tonnes (21.1%), and industrial crops – 442.5 thsd tonnes (18.2%).
At the same time, in November, the transportation of grain cargoes to the ports amounted to 1 713.4 thsd tonnes, or 70.5%, which is 1.7 times more than in October 2023.
“We had some suspensions due to bad weather at the end of November. Unfortunately, due to the aggressor’s strikes, we still have such indicators. But thanks to the operation of the temporary (sea grain – IF-U) corridor, we see good dynamics of grain cargo transportation,” stated Tkachev.
He noted that the average daily load in November amounted to 91 thousand tons of cargo, which is 20% higher than in October.
During the first week of December, UZ handled 429.1 thousand tons, of which 18.4% was grain cargo. The average daily load amounted to 79.2 thousand tons. Tkachev explained the decline in this figure compared to November by the weekend, during which elevators were closed.
During this period, 349.58 thousand tons of cargo were transported to seaports and 113.87 thousand tons were transported by land.
“For every 1 ton of cargo overloaded and transported in the direction of the western crossings, there are 3 tons of cargo transported in the direction of the ports, i.e. a ratio of 1:3. This is the usual proportion in the best periods of Ukrzaliznytsia’s operation, which remains the same,” said the UZ representative.
In December 2023, exports of oilcake through border crossings amounted to 59.61 thousand tons, and vegetable oil – 33.79 thousand tons.
As of December 7, the queue at the western border crossings amounted to 9.3 thousand cars, which is 8.4% less than the day before.
In November 2023, Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) transported 14 million tons of cargo, up 33.8% over the same period in 2022 and 4% over October 2023, the UZ press service said on Tuesday.
“It is important that, in addition to domestic transportation, exports, which are critically important for our country, have begun to grow. Thanks to the work of the Ukrainian sea corridor, grain exports have also increased,” said Yevhen Lyashchenko, chairman of the board of UZ.
According to UZ, these are record figures since the beginning of the large-scale invasion.
According to UZ, in November 2023, the company transported 7.3 million tons of cargo on domestic routes, which is 19% more than in November 2022. Export traffic increased by 56.2% to 6 million tons, import traffic by 35.4% to 679 thousand tons, and transit traffic by 2.2 times to 65.5 thousand tons.
It is noted that the largest share of the transported cargo is grain – 3 million tons (+13% by November 2022), construction materials – 3 million tons (+61.8%), iron and manganese ore – 3 million tons (+2.5 times), coal – 2 million tons (7.7% less).
At the same time, in November, 2.4 million tons of grain were exported by rail, which is 13% more than in November 2022 and 40.4% more than in October 2023.
The company also reported that grain transportation to seaports amounted to 1.7 mln tons in November, up 1.7 times compared to the previous month. At the same time, transportation via land border crossings decreased by 4.2% to 720 thsd tonnes.
Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will develop a feasibility study (FS) of the euro track project that will connect Mostyska station on the Polish border to Sknylyv (a settlement in the suburbs of Lviv), the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure (MCDI) said on Friday.
The corresponding memorandum was signed by Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksandr Kubrakov, U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink, from UZ – head of the board Eugene Lyashchenko and board member Vyacheslav Eremin.
It is indicated that further development of the 1435 mm wide section of the track will include its connection to Uzhgorod, Kovel, Chernivtsi, and at a later stage to Kiev and eastern Ukraine.
“The track will be used not only for freight, but also for passenger transportation in the direction of EU countries,” Kubrakov said.
He stressed that one of the important tasks to increase export capacity is to modernize and replace the tracks, and if necessary, to build new ones.
“The signing of the Memorandum with USAID will have a tangible impact on the recovery of the Ukrainian economy and contribute to the European integration processes in general,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Earlier, the head of the UZ board, Yevhen Lyashchenko, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that the design of the construction of the Euroway from the state border with Poland to Sknyliv will be completed by the end of this year. According to him, the implementation of this project will make it possible to organize communication by euro track from Lviv to Krakow, Prague and Vienna.
As reported, the construction of euro track in the direction Mostyska-Sknyliw was planned to begin in 2020. Also in 2020 the government included this project in the list of priority investment projects until 2023.
The railway station Sknyliw is located in Lviv at a distance of 5.5 km from the Lviv station, 3 km from Lviv airport and 1 km from the bus station.
BRIDGET BRINK, Eugene Lyashchenko, UKRZALIZNYTSIA, USAID, Вячеслав Еремин, Олександр Кубраков, УЗ
The private oil corporation ExxonMobile has delivered 30,000 tons of diesel fuel by tanker to the port of Klaipeda in Lithuania, from where it will be transported by Ukrzaliznytsia to Ukraine to provide a reserve for the stable passage of the winter season, UZ said on Friday.
“Taking into account the available diesel fuel reserves, Ukrzaliznytsia has actually provided the necessary volume for the stable passage of the winter season,” UZ said in a statement.
It is noted that the contract for the supply of this batch of diesel fuel was signed on November 17, and five days later, the shipment began in the port of Klaipeda.
According to UZ, the price for diesel fuel including delivery, excise and customs clearance is quite favorable for the company and will be approximately UAH 52 thousand per ton or UAH 43-44 per liter.
“The final price will be calculated on Monday, five days after the notification of readiness for shipment according to Platts indices,” UZ said.
It is noted that thanks to the agreement with ExxonMobile, UZ saved UAH 2-3 per 1 liter of diesel fuel, as, according to the consulting agency, its cost in Ukraine in wholesale was UAH 46/l, and in retail – UAH 55/l.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia’s calculations, the company has already saved about UAH 1 billion on diesel by reducing consumption and through direct contracts with producers.
