Ukraine is considering developing a rail corridor for the export of grain through the Republic of Moldova to the Port of Constanța, as a safer alternative to sea transport, which has been disrupted by Russian attacks. Kyiv is reported to have requested a 50 per cent reduction in rail transit tariffs through Moldova, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are discussing the possibility of transporting significant volumes of Ukrainian grain by rail to the Port of Constanța, at a time when attacks on Black Sea ports are putting increasing pressure on Kyiv’s agricultural exports.
According to an exclusive report by Reuters, the Ukrainian authorities wish to use the Moldovan rail network and have reportedly asked Chișinău for a 50 per cent reduction on the standard transport tariff.
The discussions have not yet resulted in an agreement.
A Ukrainian industry official told Reuters that information is currently being gathered on the volumes that shippers would be interested in transporting via this route.
Moldova is seeking guarantees regarding the volumes to be transported
A source within Moldovan Railways (CFM), the state-owned rail operator confirmed to Reuters the Ukrainian request for a 50 per cent reduction in the tariff.
However, the Moldovan side is said to have set a condition: that Ukraine guarantee certain volumes of grain to be transported through the Republic of Moldova.
The two sides are currently discussing both the period during which the corridor would operate and the volumes that could transit through Moldova to the Port of Constanța.
The former head of the Moldovan Railways, Oleg Tofilat, estimates that such a rail corridor could transport up to 4.5 million tonnes annually.
Ukrainian estimates suggest that, if operating at its intended capacity, the route through Moldova could handle approximately 10 per cent of Ukraine’s exports.
The Republic of Moldova was previously used for the rail transit of Ukrainian grain during 2022–2023.
Attacks on Ukrainian ports are driving freight towards the railways
The need to develop a new land route is directly linked to the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea port infrastructure.
Ukrainian ports and commercial vessels have been the target of increasingly frequent attacks, affecting, among other things, shipments using the maritime corridor to Romania.
The Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Taras Vysotskyi, told Reuters that the forecast for grain exports for the 2026–2027 season had been reduced to 38–40 million tonnes, from a previous estimate of 43 million tonnes, precisely because of the attacks on the ports.
Analysts at APK-Inform have also reduced their estimate by 8.6 per cent, to 39.4 million tonnes.
The stakes are high for the Ukrainian economy, given that over 90 per cent of the country’s grain exports are normally shipped via seaports, and agricultural products account for the largest share of Ukrainian exports.
Discussions to improve rail links
Alongside the tariff negotiations, the authorities in both countries are also discussing infrastructure capacity.
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, travelled to the Odessa region on Monday, where discussions focused on improving rail links and the possibility of expanding transit traffic. Bolea retains his infrastructure portfolio in the current government in Chișinău.
For the Republic of Moldova, the corridor could also represent a significant source of revenue.
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stated that the country should not miss the opportunity to earn EUR millions from the transit of Ukrainian grain, dismissing the fears of some Moldovan farmers’ organisations that Ukrainian goods could put pressure on local prices. Vasile Tofan leads the Government of the Republic of Moldova, which was sworn in in July 2026.
If the negotiations come to fruition, the Port of Constanța could thus receive a new flow of Ukrainian grain transported by rail through the Republic of Moldova, alongside the maritime routes and other land corridors used by Ukraine to maintain its exports.
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