Although most exports were going other ways in the summer, the situation on the railway has changed drastically. In September, the Slovak border became the busiest corridor for rail transport of Ukrainian grain to the European Union.
On average, 76 grain wagons pass through the Ukrainian-Slovak border crossings (Ukrainian-Slovak border crossings) daily now, which is 35 wagons more than last month. This comes from fresh data of the Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, which it published during negotiations with representatives of the agricultural market, and was also published by the portal UkrAgroConsult.
Why Slovakia topped the ranking
Compared to neighboring countries, Slovakia showed the most noticeable jump in volumes of transported goods. If on average 64 wagons pass daily through the Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossings (Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossings) (an increase of 14.6 wagons), the Romanian route reports 58.1 wagons, and the Polish direction reaches an average of 58 wagons per day.
The total volume of Ukrainian grain transported through all western borders increased by about one-third. If in August an average of 193 wagons passed through controlled border crossings daily, in September this number increased to 256.5 wagons.
What this means in practice
The increase in railway load does not mean that all agrotoxin or grain stays in Slovakia. Statistics show the direction of freight rail transport through border crossings, and our country in many cases serves primarily as a key transit route for other European markets.
Logistics capacities in eastern Slovakia now play a main role in exporting Ukrainian agricultural goods westward, as traditional sea routes face long-term restrictions.
