UZ Forwarding and UZ Intermodal, which are subsidiaries of the Ukrainian Railways public joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia), will begin operations this year. Ukrzaliznytsia’s Director of Strategic Development and Investment Policy Anton Sabolevskyi announced this in an interview with ukrrailways.com.
"The Board of Ukrzaliznytsia has adopted a concept for development of a freight-transport vertical, which clearly specifies which companies will be created and when. For example, UZ Forwarding and UZ Intermodal should start operation this year while UZ Terminals and UZ Sidings should start operation in 2018," Sabolevskyi said.
He added that Ukrzaliznytsia was also continuing the separation of its repair and operational components of its operations. "Three separate repair units/branches that will engage in repair of roads, electrical equipment, and engineering facilities (bridges, tunnels, etc.) are being created. They may be merged into one branch in the future, but for now, the plan is to preserve them as separate units in 2017," he said.
Operational units will become the customers for repair work and repair units will be their contractors and performance of works.
In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to create an infrastructure diagnostics center. The company's board has already made the relevant decision. Thus, a separate unit, which will not depend on operations or repairs, will monitor the state of infrastructure, Sabolevskyi said.
As reported, UZ Forwarding was previously expected to be established before the end of summer this year. This company will perform the functions of a forwarder and provide a full range of services to shippers. The idea of creating this enterprise emerged at the beginning of 2017.
There is no information about the functions of UZ Intermodal. Sabolevskyi did not provide details about this company in the interview.
