Ukraine. Record local grain transportation by rail

In Jan-July 2024, the grain transportation by rail to export outlets amounted to 20.86 M mt, which is 50% more y/y. These are record volumes of grain transportation for at least 15-20  years. The high loading of railway in 2024 was because of small exports in Jan.-Dec. 2023 and the stable operation of the sea corridor starting from Oct-Nov 2023.

In Jan-July 2024, almost 85% of grain was transported to Ukrainian seaports of the Greater Odesa, while only 15% to western border crossings. In total, in Jan.-July 2024, only 4.3 M mt of were shipped to the western borders, roughly 20% of the total grain transportation by rail.

Grain deliveries by rail to the western border crossings gradually decrease. The average volume per month in 2024 is 619 K mt compared to 829 K mt y/y. And this is not surprising, since the operation of the sea corridor allows to reduce the costs of agricultural logistics, which attracts grain flows.