Business calls to refrain from raising tariffs for container rail transportation

Member companies of the European Business Association have expressed concern over the initiative of Ukrzaliznytsia to increase tariffs for the transportation of containers with a gross weight of over 26 tons. According to the Association’s Logistics Committee, such a tariff limit will cover the majority of container transportation. An increase in tariffs may lead to a decrease in rail transportation volumes and a shift of cargo flows to road transport. This will create additional pressure on roads and increase the costs of their maintenance. There is also a risk of loss of income for railways and related enterprises involved in container transportation. In a number of cases, road transport is already more attractive to cargo owners than rail.
The Association emphasizes that in the EU, on the contrary, container transportation is stimulated by providing discounts on access to infrastructure. In Europe, this is part of the transport strategy, which provides for the transportation of at least 30% of cargo by rail or water transport. In Ukraine, the rail container segment is only being formed and requires investment. Experts are convinced that its development will contribute to an increase in export-import transportation and a reduction in the load on roads.