Spain launches experimental route for the purchase of Ukrainian corn
The route, launched by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Development of Spain, is considered to be a test ride through which the ministry seeks to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of rail transportation of grain along the highway from Lodz (Poland) to Barcelona (Spain).
The train will pass along the route Madrid - Ludwigshafen - Duisburg - Lodz - Chelm, and back through - Chelm - Lodz - Duisburg - Barcelona, with a one-way route length of approximately 2,400 km. The goods will first be loaded in Chelm, Poland, 25 km from the Ukrainian border.
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The Renfe Mercancías containers are expected to arrive in Chelm from August 22-28 to be loaded with Ukrainian corn, where they will be processed for next transfer to a terminal belong-ing to German logistics operator Kombiverker in Lodz, Poland. Transportation between Lodz and Chełm will be carried out by the Polish railway operator DBP.
Once the containers are loaded, the train will run on standard gauge from Lodz to Barcelona. From the grain terminal in Barcelona, the goods will be delivered to the final buyer. The approximate time of the arrival of the test batch in Barcelona is early September.
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“The first stages of this pilot project coincide with the opening of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and sea grain routes under Turkish control, so the test trip will be made with 600 tons of corn, a smaller volume than originally planned,” the Spanish Ministry of Transport said.
“At the same time, it is important to test the viability of the railway solution from Spain to supplement the maritime transport of Ukraine.”
Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that he is not ruling out that the seaport of Mykolaiv would join the "grain corridor”, a negotiated route for maritime ship-ping through the ongoing Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
