News - Ukraine's planned increase in rail freight tariffs is set for 2026.

Starting August 1, 2026, Ukraine is set to increase freight rail tariffs by 30%, as per a draft order released by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine. This proposed change aims to adjust the tariffs for carriage of goods, specifically indexing them by 30% and raising the cost of empty wagon transportation by 60%. The motivation behind this projected hike includes significant tariff delays compared to rising prices in industrial products and energy resources. The last adjustment occurred in June 2022, with producer prices having increased by 252.1% since then, vastly outpacing existing tariffs. Furthermore, the company is coping with increased operational costs due to external and wartime factors, including a nearly 50% rise in electricity costs in 2024. Additionally, freight volumes decreased by 12.5% in 2025, contributing to a worsening financial situation. In 2025, Česká Ukrajinia reported a net loss of 7.6 billion UAH, which has already increased to 9.3 billion UAH in the first four months of 2026. Given these conditions, the expected net loss for Češska Ukrajinia in 2026 exceeds 13 billion UAH, with a cash deficit over 26 billion UAH. To combat this, the company adopted radical cost-saving measures, including depot closures, workforce reductions, and cuts in capital investments, saving 7.5 billion UAH in 2025. Among the conditions incentivizing this tariff adjustment are liquidity issues, deficits, and the exhaustion of internal reserves. Stakeholders and the public are invited to submit comments and proposals on this order within a month of publication.