Ukrainian Railways has issued a statement regarding the recent amendments to train formation plans. This decision was made to optimize the distribution of freight traffic along the Pomichna-Podilsk and Pomichna-Chornomorska routes, ensuring stable operation of traction substations and efficient use of locomotives, while preventing excessive workloads for locomotive crews.
This information was provided in response to an inquiry by EП.
The company noted that these routes have implemented restrictions on train intervals and power supply.
Additionally, when making this decision, both current and potential freight traffic towards Ukraine's largest port – the "Pivdenny" Sea Trade Port – were taken into account.
The company also reminded that freight transport tariffs within Ukraine are supposed to be indexed annually. However, this norm has not been consistently fulfilled in previous years, and the dynamics of tariff indexing have significantly lagged behind the changes in prices for key resources consumed by the railway.
"Specifically, since the last review of freight transport tariffs, electricity prices have risen by 166%, diesel by 110%, spare parts for diesel locomotives by 217%, parts for electric locomotives by 22%, bearings by 37%, solid-rolled wheels by 20%, etc.", the company stated.
As a result, these factors have limited the ability of Ukrainian Railways to adequately perform infrastructure and rolling stock repairs and to index salaries for railway workers.
"At the same time, private companies have the opportunity to conduct tariff indexing through reduced logistics costs, which somewhat allows them to meet their own social obligations to staff, including the payment of a 13th salary", the company advised.
As a reminder:
Recently, "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih" expressed "concern" regarding the amendments made by Ukrainian Railways to the train formation plan and the corresponding increase in tariff distance.
"We are extremely concerned about the changes in the train formation plan by Ukrainian Railways effective from April 5, 2025, which have led to an increase in tariff distance for trains carrying our products by 257 km, thus significantly raising production costs.
We consider this change in routing by the state monopoly Ukrainian Railways to be artificial and unfounded", the company's statement read.
The adjustment of tariff distance to the Odesa Sea Trade Port is viewed by "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih" as "artificial and selective" and "does not exclude signs of deliberate economic pressure on the company".