Ukraine decides to transport lorries by train due to blockade on Polish border

Ukrzaliznytsia, the Ukrainian national railway operator, is preparing container trains to transport Ukrainian trucks blocked on the border with Poland.

Source: Valerii Tkachov, Deputy Head of the Commercial Department of Ukrzaliznytsia, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Details: Polish customs officials are currently examining a test container train which carries 23 lorries from Ukraine. The delay is explained by the need to coordinate the dimensions of the goods and the presence of fuel in the lorries.

It is noted that Ukrainian hauliers are attempting to address the issue of crossing the border between Ukraine and Poland in this way, as Polish carriers have been obstructing it for the past month.

"Now we have a loaded train at the crossing with Hrubieszów [checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border, Izov-Hrubieszów – ed.]. We have loaded 23 container wagons with lorries," said Tkachov.

According to him, the Ukrainian and Polish sides are discussing technical issues.

Polish customs officials request information regarding the size of the cargo and whether the lorries' fuel tanks are filled.

"We will try to resolve these issues as soon as possible so they let it through. As soon as this test train passes [the border – ed.] and everything is fine, we will launch them en masse," the official promised.

Such freight by rail will be operated by the Ukrainian Lisky State Centre of Transport Service, Tkachov concluded.

Background: The blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border led to a 40% decrease in exports through checkpoints, causing a loss of UAH 9.3 billion (about US$251 million) to the state budget due to non-payment of customs payments.

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