Ukrzaliznytsia needs bold action to revive fortunes

Debts have exceeded $1.5 billion, and the company lost $426 million in 2020. Its only chance to dig itself out is to raise freight tariffs. But to do so, it needs to be in the hands of good management.

Ukrzaliznytsia’s neglected tracks and equipment are outdated and in dire need of modernization. Of the nearly 19,800 kilometers of railway tracks, only 9,300 are electrified. Ukraine has to buy diesel fuel from Belarus, made from crude oil produced in Russia.