Ukrainian Rail Freight Rates: Grain Stable, Others Mixed

• Stable grain logistics: Ukrzaliznytsia keeps grain car rental rates flat at UAH 1,250/day for January 2025, supporting cost predictability for grain exporters and domestic traders.
• Diverging costs by segment: Tank cars for food products jump 27% while flour car rates fall 27%, signaling shifting demand across processed and liquid agricultural cargoes.
• Higher bulk freight costs: Gondola car rental rates rise 7.4% to UAH 1,450/day, potentially increasing transport costs for oilseed meal and other bulk commodities.
• Mixed impact on margins: Lower flour car rates may stimulate processed grain shipments, while higher tank and gondola costs could pressure margins for liquid and bulk freight shippers.

Ukrainian Rail Freight Rate Overview for January 2025

JSC Ukrzaliznytsia’s Transport Logistics Center has released its railcar rental tariffs for January 2025, maintaining stability in the grain segment while adjusting rates across other key freight categories. Grain car rental remains fixed at UAH 1,250 per day, unchanged from December 2024, providing cost certainty for grain exporters and domestic market participants reliant on rail logistics.

In contrast, other agricultural freight segments are seeing notable pricing shifts. Tank cars used for transporting food products will rise from UAH 738 to UAH 938 per day, a UAH 200 increase that translates into a 27.1% jump. Specialized flour cars (type 972) move in the opposite direction, with rates cut from UAH 750 to UAH 550 per day, easing logistics costs for processed grain shipments. Meanwhile, gondola car rental rates, widely used for bulk commodities such as oilseed meal, will increase from UAH 1,350 to UAH 1,450 per day, a 7.4% rise.

January 2025 Ukrzaliznytsia Rental Rates

Market Impact and Logistics Analysis

The flat grain car rate is broadly neutral for Ukrainian grain logistics and helps maintain competitive rail freight economics for January loadings. Exporters and domestic traders can plan shipments without additional rate pressure from wagon rentals, an important factor in a margin-sensitive export environment.

The 7.4% increase in gondola car tariffs could raise delivered costs for oilseed meal and other bulk commodities that rely on this wagon type, especially over longer hauls. At the same time, the sharp cut in flour car rates may encourage higher utilization of specialized rolling stock for processed grain products, potentially supporting additional value-added exports or domestic distribution.

For liquid food product transporters, the 27.1% jump in tank car rates is likely to squeeze logistics margins unless higher freight costs can be passed through to buyers. Overall, the mixed tariff adjustments point to differentiated demand dynamics across Ukraine’s agricultural freight segments, with rail pricing increasingly tailored to specific car types and cargo flows.

Source: Market Data