Container transport via Hungary could provide an additional route for Ukrainian agricultural exports

Container rail transport opportunities are expanding along the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. The East-West Gate intermodal terminal in Fényeslitke has received its first container train operated by international shipping company CMA CGM. Earlier in 2026, Maersk launched container depot and dry port services at the facility. The involvement of major shipping lines creates opportunities to develop alternative logistics routes, including those serving Ukrainian agricultural exports.

The transport hub was originally designed to handle rail shipments between China and Central Europe via Ukraine. However, the full-scale war effectively disrupted this transit corridor, forcing logistics operators to redirect cargo flows. One of the emerging alternatives is the integration of Ukrainian rail freight services with international container networks, providing access to European ports and global markets.

Additional opportunities are emerging from the structure of container flows in eastern Hungary. The expansion of the automotive and battery industries is increasing inbound container shipments, while relatively limited local exports are resulting in an accumulation of empty containers. Using these containers to transport Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products could reduce empty container repositioning costs and provide additional export capacity.

A key logistical challenge remains the difference between Ukraine’s broad-gauge railway network and Europe’s standard-gauge system. The terminal’s location at the junction of these networks enables cargo transshipment, including the transfer of agricultural commodities from conventional rail wagons into containers. This creates opportunities to integrate traditional grain rail shipments into international container supply chains without requiring cargo to be delivered directly to Ukrainian seaports.

For Ukrainian exporters, the development of such routes could provide an additional means of diversifying logistics amid wartime risks and restrictions on maritime transport. However, the competitiveness of containerized exports will depend on transshipment costs, rail tariffs, empty container availability and the reliability of transport services. The further development of the Hungarian route will therefore be determined primarily by its economic efficiency compared with other Ukrainian agricultural export corridors.

Tags: agricultural exports, logistics, Hungary, container transportation, rail transportation, Ukraine