- Improved Port Throughput: Daily grain railcar unloading at Greater Odesa ports increased to 1,338 cars, helping clear existing congestion.
- Queue Reduction: The railcar queue to Greater Odesa ports fell by 697 units week-on-week to 9,386 cars, indicating better alignment between arrivals and port offtake.
- Shift from Danube to Deep-Sea Ports: Rail flows to Danube ports continue to decline, reinforcing the competitive advantage of the reopened deep-sea export corridor.
- Neutral to Bullish Logistics Outlook: Higher unloading rates and shorter queues support smoother export operations and lower demurrage risk.
Ukrainian Rail Freight and Port Activity
Ukrainian railway operator JSC Ukrzaliznytsia reported a further improvement in grain logistics at the Greater Odesa ports over the past week. Port throughput strengthened slightly, while rail congestion eased as unloading outpaced new arrivals.
Average daily grain railcar unloading at Greater Odesa ports increased to 1,338 cars, up by 21 cars compared with the previous week. At the same time, the total queue of grain railcars heading toward these ports declined by 697 units to 9,386 cars, highlighting a gradual clearing of the backlog.
In contrast, rail flows to the Danube ports continued to soften. The number of grain cars en route to the Danube is estimated at 118 per day, a decrease of 32 cars week-on-week. This underscores the ongoing reorientation of export volumes away from river ports and back toward the main Black Sea terminals.
Port and Rail Metrics
| Metric | Greater Odesa Ports | Change (Week-on-Week) | Danube Ports | Change (Week-on-Week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Daily Unloading | 1,338 cars | +21 cars | 17 cars | +6 cars |
| Inbound Cars (Queue) | 9,386 cars | -697 cars | 118 cars/day | -32 cars/day |
| Avg. Daily Loading (to Port) | 1,402 cars | +40 cars | N/A | N/A |
Market Impact and Logistics Outlook
The latest rail and port metrics point to a Neutral to Bullish backdrop for Ukrainian grain export logistics. Incremental gains in unloading capacity at Greater Odesa, together with the shrinking rail queue, signal improved operational efficiency along the main export corridor. This supports faster wagon turnaround times, reduces the risk of demurrage, and enhances reliability for exporters aligning rail flows with vessel schedules.
The ongoing decline in traffic to Danube ports confirms that the reopened deep-sea corridor has reasserted itself as the preferred export route. Deep-sea terminals generally offer greater scale and lower per-tonne logistics costs than river ports, making them more attractive for traders. For the market, this shift suggests more stable capacity and a more predictable flow of shipments through the primary Black Sea outlets.
Source: Market Data
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