The Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) intends to create its own transport company in the European Union and begin providing services to Ukrainian shippers by the end of this year.
Ukrzaliznytsia’s Board Chairman Oleksandr Kamyshin announced this during a meeting of the company’s Export Office/
He did not specify the country in which Ukrzaliznytsia plans to establish the first such company.
"By the end of this year, you will have the opportunity to travel with a carrier called Ukrzaliznytsia on the European side. We are establishing our own carrier there. We are creating our own fleet of locomotives and wagons there. We already have our first new wagons for narrow-gauge tracks, and you will have the opportunity to travel with Ukrzaliznytsia, with our quality operating standards for the first time this year," Kamyshin said.
According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia made this decision because "foreign carriers are not motivated to carry more."
"We did not find another solution for ourselves. We tried every day, every week, and every month to work actively with our neighbors and partners. We saw that they did not have the motivation to carry more. When we realized this, we tried to establish a joint venture with two companies. We saw that they did not have the motivation to establish a joint venture with us. We realized that we must go it alone and find our own way. That is what we will do. It is a long way, and we will go through everything on it: from giving our wagons to other carriers to getting our license and becoming a full-fledged carrier," he said.
According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia will initially provide its wagons "only to state companies and for strategic cargoes" abroad. "Subsequently, with the expansion of the fleet, we will provide an opportunity to others. However, as a carrier, we will be able to work with everyone," he said.
Ukrzaliznytsia board member Viacheslav Yeriomin added that the company will perform the work under contracts similar to the contracts the Transport Logistics Center (a subsidiary of Ukrzaliznytsia) currently signs for freight forwarding services.
"The forwarding contracts that we have in the Transport Logistics Center will be valid, but we will sell you transportation not to the border, but to the final destination," Yeriomin said.
