Russian strikes leave Ukraine with almost no spare locomotives, further complicating grain exports
Russian forces have intensified attacks on Ukrainian freight trains in recent weeks, leaving Ukraine with almost no reserve locomotives, Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s minister of agrarian policy and food, told the Financial Times.
Ukrainian authorities are in talks with European allies about supplying locomotives compatible with Ukraine’s track gauge (1,520 mm), he said.
Freight trains carry grain and ore, Ukraine’s main exports, among other cargo.
The loss of locomotives makes it even harder for Ukraine to export grain, the newspaper reported. Attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure have already severely hampered grain exports.
Vysotskyi estimates that if the ports remain closed, Ukraine will lose at least $8 billion from June 2026 to June 2027.
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Why does this matter?
Ukraine’s railway tracks have a gauge of 1,520 mm. In most European countries, the gauge is 1,435 mm. The Baltic states, Moldova, and Finland still use a 1,520 mm gauge. Some sections of track in Poland and Slovakia also use this gauge.