The fleet of grain wagons of ‘Ukrzaliznytsia’ is shrinking: the trend will intensify in 2026

As of March 5, 2026, the working fleet of grain wagons under the management of the Transport Logistics Center of JSC ‘Ukrzaliznytsia’ has decreased to 2,600 units. Just in December 2025, this figure was 3,000 wagons.

This is reported by AgroReview

Further reduction of the fleet and reasons

During an online meeting with participants in the agricultural market, the head of the ‘Transport Logistics Center’, Ihor Trybis, reported that about 200 more wagons will be withdrawn from operation in March. A similar reduction is expected in April, and the pace of decrease in the number of wagons may even accelerate in the coming months.

“By the next season, the fleet will have 1,500, at most 1,700 wagons, and by the end of the year – about 800 grain wagons,” Trybis reported.

According to Ihor Trybis, the main reason for this reduction is the expiration of the wagons’ operational lifespan. He also noted that repairs will only be carried out if long-term contracts are signed, which will ensure stability and allow for planning activities not just for a few months, but for the entire year. It was also emphasized that the current repair economy is not profitable, as the costs of restoring one wagon in the short term may exceed the profits earned.

Impact on private wagons and logistics

Valerii Tkachev, Deputy Director of the Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations Department of UZ, noted that the fleet reduction will affect not only the wagons of the Transport Logistics Center but also private rolling stock. The main reason is the high cost of repairs. At the same time, according to Tkachev, a rental rate of 1,500 hryvnias per wagon is acceptable for the market, as the total logistics cost for transportation over a distance of about 700 kilometers will remain within $17-18 per ton.