This week marked a significant milestone for “Rīgas Universālais Termināls” (Riga Universal Terminal – RUT) as they successfully received and unloaded the inaugural test train carrying Ukrainian cereal products at the Freeport of Riga. The delivery, consisting of 1423 tons of rapeseed in 54 containers, was facilitated by SIA LDZ CARGO, a subsidiary of SJSC “Latvijas dzelzceļš”. The containers traveled from Ukraine to the port of Riga through the Kaunas intermodal railway terminal, where they were loaded onto SIA LDZ CARGO platforms for the final leg of their journey to Riga. The RUT warehouses now house the unloaded Ukrainian rapeseed.
Handling grain in containers is a novel experience for the Port of Riga terminals. Edgars Rudzītis, Head of the bulk warehouse department at RUT, highlighted the terminal’s readiness and equipped facilities for receiving grain container trains from Ukraine. Despite the challenges associated with this new type of transshipment, the terminal efficiently executed all tasks, swiftly releasing the railway platforms for new transportation assignments—a key requirement for the carrier.
The container journey began on September 25 from Ukraine, with reloading in Kaunas on October 8 onto SIA LDZ CARGO platforms. On October 11, the platforms arrived at the Port of Riga, initiating cargo unloading at the Riga Universal Terminal. SIA LDZ CARGO organized the railway transportation in collaboration with the client, SIA “LTG Cargo Ukraina,” as outlined in their cooperation agreement established in November 2022.
Image source: https://rop.lv/en/news/first-grain-container-train-ukraine-arrives-port-riga