“Ukrzaliznytsia” plans to enter the forwarding services market in the EU

“Ukrzaliznytsia” plans to provide a full list of forwarding services to cargo owners and enter the EU market.

By the end of June, the branch of the “Transport Logistics Center” of CTL will offer shippers a set of forwarding services. This was повідомляє stated by the deputy director of the department of commercial work of UZ Valery Tkachev at a meeting with market participants, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

By the end of the year, UZ wants to complete the registration of a separate company to enter the European markets in this segment. According to Tkachev, until recently the branch mainly acted as a wagon operator, providing shippers with their own wagon fleet.

Currently, CTL plans to provide a package of services that includes:

• ensuring loading of wagons;

• weighing control;

• execution of transport documents;

• protection of cargo along the route by armed UZ security;

• general coordination;

• cargo transportation control;

• other related services.

Tkachev added that today the TSL fleet has about 52,200 freight cars.

The service will be offered, first of all, to shippers of grain cargoes as the market that is developing most dynamically and has a significant share in railway transportation. UZ is already negotiating with the 10 largest grain companies, and is also considering the possibility of offering forwarding services to shippers of other types of goods.

It is expected that Poland will be the first country of operation of the new carrier company from Ukrzaliznytsia. UZ is also studying the possibility of entering the markets of Slovakia and Hungary.

Earlier, USM reported that Ukrzaliznytsia transported almost half as many cargoes for export in May as in April. However, in the last week of May, the average daily load increased to 50-69 thousand tons, against 30-35 thousand tons earlier, this is due to the resumption of the “grain corridor”. 

So, on May 31, the rate of grain unloading in the ports of Great Odesa amounted to 462 wagons per day, compared to 181 a week earlier.