Spain will join forces with Poland, Luxembourg and France in a coordinated push to move 8,000 tons of grain from Ukraine through a railway corridor linking Poznan in Poland with the Mediterranean ports of Tarragona, Barcelona and Cartagena. Government sources in Madrid describe a plan where Ukrainian trains, designed for a different gauge and unable to pass through Europe’s tunnels, would reach the Polish border with grain. From there, the consignments would be transferred to compatible trains after crossing Poland, Germany, Luxembourg and France. The Mediterranean ports would then store the grain in silos for later export to Maghreb countries, completing the supply chain before shipment.
The initiative is a public-private project that is set to begin on July 15. It was unveiled by the Spanish president last Thursday during a meeting with other European colleagues amid discussions on Ukraine and the wider food-security crisis. The move comes despite ongoing efforts by the European Union and the United Nations to unlock grain blocked since the start of the war in Ukraine. The blockage, involving roughly 20 million tons of grain from the Ukrainian port of Odessa, remains a critical challenge to global supply chains.
Russians continue to advance in Lugansk in eastern Ukraine
600 tons
Several railway operators, including France’s SNCF and Spain’s RENFE, will participate in the effort under a coordinated plan led by Spain. The initial target is to move about 600 tons in July, with shipments projected to rise to 8,000 tons from August as the venture enters its first three months of operation. After this period, the framework aims to continue drawing grain from Ukraine according to the country’s needs and strategic decisions. Bridge officials described the Spanish government’s role as a meaningful contribution to a highly delicate situation. The Ukrainian authorities have identified two export routes: one through Poland and another via Romania. The latter route would involve transporting grain by train to a ship along the Danube and then transferring it to the port of Konstanz, a process noted for its complexity and costliness.
Just days earlier, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, condemned Russia for blocking millions of tons of grain exports from Ukraine, calling the action a war crime. EU transport commissioner Adina Vălean emphasized the urgency of extracting about 20 million tons of grain from Ukraine within a three-month window using EU infrastructure. Brussels figures indicate that under normal conditions Ukraine exports about 75 percent of its grain production, accounting for roughly 20 percent of its annual export earnings. Before the war, Ukraine’s Black Sea ports handled about 90 percent of grain and oilseed exports.
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