Agrarians are losing money because of “Ukrzaliznytsia”

This year, the situation with the Ukrainian rail freight transportation got critical. In this regard, 26 deputies appealed to the President of Ukraine with a request to solve the problem, writes Agro-Center.

At present, the situation with rail freight transportation is very disappointing and problematic. There is no logistical component and because of this, the railway cannot fully execute orders.

26 members of parliament and 9 community organizations wrote an open letter to the President of Ukraine, asking to intervene and find a solution to the problem. The letter states that there are not enough locomotives at the railway. Because of this, many freight trains are standing without work. Moreover, half of the existing locomotives need to be repaired; currently, only 25% of the equipment is being repaired.

The situation with rail freight transportation assisted by “Ukrzaliznytsia” is getting worse. The efficiency of car usage increased by 11-16 days, compared to 2015.

There are not enough movable warehouses for cargo transportation at “Ukrzaliznytsia”. Some transportations of industrialists and agrarians are “hanging”. The lack of locomotives for cargo transportation has already been repeatedly mentioned by different associations – grain growers, cement producers, metallurgists, chemists.

“Ukrzaliznytsya’s” inaction stops the work of railway stations. Thus, at the beginning of June this year, 99 out of 528 grain shipment stations were suspended temporarily or completely,”

write the authors of the letter.

Because of “Ukrzaliznytsia’s” ineffective work, carriers and private companies lose a lot of money. In the letter, the members of parliament and associations ask to take following measures to resolve the situation: to hold a meeting on the financial and economic indicators and results of the work of “Ukrzaliznytsia” during the period from 01.09.2017 to 01.09.2018, as well as discuss issues related to the improvement of the company’s activities in the field of rail freight transportation; to assist the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in taking urgent measures to improve the work of “Ukrzaliznytsia”, to ensure a creation of a permanent working group on railway transport issues as a part of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.