Cost of grain export by rail in Ukraine down to $14-$14.5 per tonne in 2024 - Ukrainian Railways

MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - The cost of grain export by rail in Ukraine decreased to $14-$14.5 from $21.3 per tonne in 2024, Ukrainian media have reported with reference to Valery Tkachyov, deputy director for commerce of the Ukrainian state railway company Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia, or UZ), as saying on his social account.

The decrease was mainly due to lower costs of using hopper cars, he said.

"This year, the cost of using hopper cars decreased to UAH 230-330 from UAH 1,688 a day, meaning a decrease by more than 80%," Tkachyov said.

As of November, UZ had a spare fleet of 5,000 to 7,000 hopper cars, he said.

Media also reported with reference to the UZ website that the lease of hopper cars belonging to Transport Logistics Center, a UZ subsidiary, grew by UAH 100 to UAH 1,350 a day, VAT excluded, starting December 1, 2024 compared with November 2024.

The rate of using Type 972 flour railcars was also raised by UAH 100 to UAH 1,750 a day, and that of tank cars for food products to UAH 600 from UAH 500 a day.

At the same time, the lease of an open wagon declined to UAH 1,150 a day in December from UAH 1,300 a day in November.