In 2025, total rail transportation of grain cargoes in Ukraine amounted to 28.86 million tonnes, which is 27.3% (or 10.85 million tonnes) less than in 2024, ProAgro Group reports.

According to Valerii Tkachov, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations at Ukrzaliznytsia, export shipments dominated the structure of grain transportation in 2025. Rail exports totaled 25.48 million tonnes, down 25.3% year-on-year. Domestic transportation volumes declined by 42.9% to 3.02 million tonnes. At the same time, grain imports increased by 43.9% to 18.5 thousand tonnes, while transit shipments rose by 28.1% to 333 thousand tonnes.

Most export rail shipments were routed through seaports, which accounted for 92% of volumes, or 23.45 million tonnes. About 2.03 million tonnes, or 8% of exports, were transported through land border crossings.

Toward the end of the year, several market trends intensified. Reduced export activity led to higher grain stocks at storage facilities, while major traders began avoiding the accumulation of large volumes at port terminals due to increased military risks.

In addition, the market for grain hopper wagons demonstrated significant volatility. From January to mid-October 2025, rental rates remained within UAH 100–250 per day. However, with the start of active corn harvesting in mid-October, rates temporarily surged to UAH 1,000–2,500 per day.

Ukrzaliznytsia advises agricultural producers to switch to long-term contracts for grain wagons in order to reduce the risks associated with sharp logistics cost fluctuations and improve cost forecasting.

Earlier it was reported that the gradual convergence of railway tariffs and the transition to cost-based indexation is considered a logical and inevitable step for Ukraine’s agricultural logistics sector.