Grain transport delays in Romania reach 50 days amid shortage of storage capacity and locomotives

Romania is facing growing challenges in grain storage and transportation due to insufficient storage capacity and railway infrastructure constraints. According to Romanian grain market analyst Cesar Gheorghe, the country’s total licensed grain storage capacity stands at approximately 16.5 mln tons, equivalent to only half of this year’s harvest. As a result, large volumes of grain are arriving from the fields, while available storage facilities are insufficient to accommodate them promptly.

Additional difficulties are caused by extensive railway infrastructure repairs, particularly near Fetești and at Palas station close to the port of Constanta. Due to limited capacity on certain railway sections, grain delivery delays can reach 40–50 days. According to the analyst, railway wagons have effectively become temporary grain storage facilities, as grain remains loaded in them for extended periods while awaiting further transportation.

The situation is further complicated by a shortage of locomotives, despite an adequate number of freight wagons. As Cesar Gheorghe explained, locomotives are often reassigned to other trains when delays occur. When a delayed train finally receives permission to continue its journey, a locomotive may no longer be available. This creates additional downtime and increases pressure on the railway network handling grain shipments.

The combination of insufficient grain storage capacity, railway repairs and locomotive shortages is complicating Romania’s grain logistics, particularly shipments to the port of Constanta. Prolonged storage of grain in railway wagons reduces the efficiency of rolling stock utilization and may increase logistics costs for market participants. At the same time, these problems create additional risks for Ukrainian grain transit through Romania’s transport infrastructure, which remains one of the alternative export routes.

Tags: grain, Romania, grain storage, silos, rail transportation