In the first half of 2025, Ukrainian Railways’ (UZ) freight volume dropped by 11.8% compared to the same period last year. If the trend continues, UZ is on track to have its worst freight loading year ever, with volumes predicted to be 50% lower than in 2021.
Oleksandr Pertsovkyi, the CEO of UZ, revealed those numbers on Facebook, and expressed his regret over the disappointing numbers. “A severe blow, since freight used to be the railway’s main source of income”, he said. In total, UZ moved 79,6 million tonnes of freight in H1 2025.
The largest decline took place in the grain and processed products category, which saw a drop of 32.5%. “Farmers cite a late season start – we hope for a rebound (July saw more movement)”, Pertsovskyi explained.
Coal, construction, cement
The second worst result took place in the coal category, with a 27.5% drop. However, Pertsovkyi remains positive about that number. “Despite the drop, this is an effort we’re proud of! Brave railway workers build new lines under drone attacks to bypass enemy-held routes. Drivers go to mines and enrichment plants knowing they’re targets. But each lost mine further reduces volume, likely irreversibly.”
Construction materials and cement performed better, at +4% and +10% respectively. Nevertheless, current tariff levels are not high enough for UZ to turn a profit, even with such growth.
In terms of transport directions, only imports showed growth.
- Export volumes fell to 38.7 million tonnes: -13.5%
- Domestic transport declined to 35.5 million tonnes: -11.7%
- Imports rose to 5.3 million tonnes: +5.4%.
The growth of imports was driven by the fuel sector and end-to-end logistics partnerships via UZ Cargo Poland, explains Pertsovskyi.
In terms of transit volumes, those “remain negligible due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.” Yet, UZ has launched pilot container ferries to Georgia, which could support new multimodal routes via Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China through the Middle Corridor.
Ukraine’s tariff indexations have been frozen since mid-2022, to UZ’s dismay. “While we understand the need to support industry, we see those sectors (metallurgy, coal, agriculture) raising wages and investing”, writes the UZ CEO. “We’re making the case that railway workers enabling these sectors deserve fair treatment too.”