Tariffs for freight transportation by rail will be increased by 15% from March 1 (for all types of cargo except for coal) if the rise is approved by all the interested agencies, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Andriy Pyvovarsky has said.

"Today we have approval from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Finance," he added during a meeting with grain traders at Ukrzaliznytsia.

As reported, it was originally planned to raise freight rail tariffs in 2016 in two stages: by 30% as a whole from January 1 and July 1 by 15%.

In early January 2016 Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the indexation of tariffs for cargo transportation by rail in the territory of Ukraine in 2016 depends on the decision of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Finance Ministry.

Ukraine's Minister of Economic Development and Trade Aivaras Abromavicius in the disputable issue of railway tariffs proposed in the near future to introduce only a 15% increase in tariffs for freight rail carriers, postponing a further increase until the time the situation is analyzed in detail.