JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” has launched 18 additional Kyiv City Express shuttle trips between the capital’s left and right banks, the company’s press service reported.
“From October 5 to 9, we are scheduling 18 additional Kyiv City Express shuttle trips on the Vydubychi–Darnitsa–Vydubychi route so that you can quickly and without traffic jams get to work, run errands, or return home amid the difficult traffic conditions on Kyiv’s bridges,” the Telegram message states.
As noted, the 18 shuttle trips will run during the morning and evening rush hours: from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. At the Vydubychi station, boarding and alighting will take place on three tracks. At the Darnytsia station, boarding and alighting will take place on one or two tracks (please listen carefully to station announcements). Additional trips will stop at the Bereznyaky station.
“In addition to the KSE shuttle trains, for trips between the right and left banks, you can use scheduled commuter and regional trains running to and from Nizhyn, Hrebinka, Konotop, and Slavutych. They make mandatory stops at the Vydubychi and Darnytsia stations, and commuter trains will also stop at the Bereznyaky station,” added Ukrzaliznytsia.
It is explained that thanks to the combination of additional shuttle services and scheduled trains with Kyiv City Express (KSE) trains, up to six trips will run between the two banks during peak hours, so passengers won’t have to wait long for the next train.
The company noted that tickets are available with just a few clicks in the UZ app.
KYIV, KYIV CITY EXPRESS, RAILROAD, TRANSPORTATION, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
“Ukrzaliznytsia” has added six new passenger cars, manufactured at a Ukrainian plant, to its train fleet, according to a company announcement on Telegram on Saturday.
“As is customary, the new cars are equipped with powerful batteries to ensure maximum autonomy when needed. In the event of a power outage, the batteries will keep the restrooms, lighting, air conditioning, and other systems running. So even if the car continues to travel under a diesel locomotive, all amenities will remain operational for as long as possible,” Ukrzaliznytsia noted.
It did not specify exactly which cars were being referred to, but the illustration shows a compartment car.
“Every new car, in the face of enemy attacks on rolling stock, is an opportunity to keep moving,” the company emphasized.
As previously reported, as part of a state funding program, Ukrzaliznytsia has contracted for 368 passenger cars since 2021. The main supplier is PJSC “Kryukiv Railway Car Building Works” (KVZ).
In late August of this year, Ukrzaliznytsia signed a contract with KVZ for the delivery of 10 new-generation passenger cars by the end of 2029, with a total value of 1.091 billion UAH including VAT, thereby bringing the total number of cars ordered in 2026 to 102.
In late May of this year, Ukrzaliznytsia reported that approximately 1,450 passenger cars are in service, of which 933 are air-conditioned sleeper cars and 100 are high-speed train cars.
CAR, MANUFACTURING, RAILROAD, TRANSPORTATION, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
A number of Ukrzaliznytsia trains across the country are running with delays of 2 to 16 hours, according to train schedule information posted on the company’s website on Monday.
According to the latest updates as of 10:43 a.m., the train with the longest delay is train 121/122 Mykolaiv Pass. – Kyiv-Pass. – 16 hours 33 minutes, as well as train 109/110 Mykolaiv Pass. – Lviv – 12 hours 37 minutes, while trains 233/234 Kryvyi Rih-Holovnyi – Chernivtsi and 293/294 Kryvyi Rih-Holovnyi – Rakhiv are running with a delay of 11 hours 58 minutes.
As for other trains, the 3/4 Dnipro-Holovnyi–Uzhhorod is delayed by 10 hours 24 minutes, and the 285/286 Lviv–Dnipro-Holovnyi and 41/42 Truskavets–Dnipro-Holovnyi are running with a delay of 7 hours 36 minutes.
“Ukrzaliznytsia” notes that train delays are calculated automatically, so changes may occur. Among other things, it is noted that during emergencies, evacuations, and detours, train delays may increase, while they may decrease when a train accelerates.
The company’s website reports that, in total, approximately 50 trains are running with delays across Ukraine.
At the “Carpathian Eight” summit in Bukovel, JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” proposed a project for the construction of a new 47-km section of European-gauge track from Chernivtsi to Vadul-Sireta on the border with Romania.
According to the project description published on the summit’s website, the investment needed for this project is estimated at $186 million, with grant funding being the preferred option.
“Ukrzaliznytsia” notes that the section is intended to be integrated into the new TEN-T transport corridor “Baltic Sea—Black Sea—Aegean Sea,” which will provide a direct connection between the Ukrainian network and EU infrastructure.
The project is in the final stages of its feasibility study, and implementation is planned to take four years.
In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia proposed at the summit a project to integrate Lviv Central Station with the future European-gauge line from Poland to Sknyliv Station. This involves the construction of a 5-kilometer European-gauge bypass section around Lviv, combined with the construction of a multifunctional passenger terminal at Sknyliv Station.
The funding requirement for this project—in which Poland has been invited to participate—is $100 million; grant funding is also desirable.
A preliminary feasibility study is currently being developed with support from JASPERS, and the project is expected to take five years to complete.
As previously reported, Ukrzaliznytsia has also proposed establishing, in partnership with investors, a low-cost passenger carrier operating on routes between Ukraine and the EU on European-standard tracks, with investments in share capital totaling approximately $441 million. According to the plan, the carrier’s routes will run from western Ukrainian railway hubs—including Uzhhorod, Lviv, and Kovel—to markets in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically Budapest, Bratislava, Warsaw, Vienna, and Berlin.
The first founding summit of the “Carpathian 8” (Carpathian 8 Summit) is taking place at the Bukovel ski resort in the Ivano-Frankivsk region from September 18 to 20.
At the “Carpathian Eight” summit in Bukovel, JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” proposed a project to establish, in partnership with investors, a low-cost passenger carrier on routes between Ukraine and the EU using European-standard tracks, with investments in share capital totaling approximately $441 million.
According to the project description posted on the summit’s website, the carrier’s routes will run from western Ukrainian railway hubs—including Uzhhorod, Lviv, and Kovel—to markets in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically Budapest, Bratislava, Warsaw, Vienna, and Berlin.
As part of the project, there are plans to purchase modern trains for European-standard tracks.
It is noted that the project is in the advanced planning stage, and its implementation is expected to take approximately four years.
Ukrzaliznytsia hopes that this project will attract interest from rail and road carriers in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
As previously reported, in late 2018 and in June 2019, trains operated by the state-owned railway companies MÁV-START of Hungary and ZSSK of Slovakia began running on routes from Mukachevo—where the European gauge track ends—to Budapest and Košice, respectively.
On the same route, starting in March 2024, the Czech private carrier RegioJet has been operating services from Chop to Prague; it also cooperates with Ukrzaliznytsia on services to the Polish city of Przemyśl, which borders Ukraine.
In addition, in October 2023, the Polish company SKPL (Stowarzyszenie Kolejowych Przewozów Lokalnych) became the first to launch passenger service on the standard-gauge route between Warsaw and Rava-Ruska, where passengers transferred to Ukrzaliznytsia trains bound for Lviv or Kolomyia. Starting in December 2024, the state-owned operator PKP Intercity also began operating on this route, and SKPL withdrew from it in September 2025.
Ukrzaliznytsia also has plans to extend the European-gauge track to Chernivtsi and Lviv; prior to the full-scale Russian invasion, the possibility of building a new high-speed rail line between Warsaw and Kyiv was also being considered.
As reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that agreements on $1 billion in investments had already been reached during the first Carpathian Economic Forum.
The C8 Summit website lists about 90 projects across eight sectors. The energy sector has the most—33—followed by transportation and logistics with 11, industry and manufacturing with 17, and infrastructure and real estate with 12.
In terms of regions, the largest number of projects is listed in Lviv Oblast—30—followed by 14 in Zakarpattia, 13 in Chernihiv Oblast, 11 in Poltava Oblast, and 3 in Bukovina.
The first inaugural summit of the “Carpathian 8” (Carpathian 8 Summit) is taking place at the Bukovel ski resort in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast from September 18 to 20.
European gauge, INVESTMENT, TRANSPORTATION, UKRAINE, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
The volume of containerized freight transported by rail in January–August of this year totaled 202.73 thousand DFE (TEU), which is 33% higher than the figures for the same period in 2025, according to Valery Tkachov, deputy director of the Department of Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations at JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia,” on Facebook.
According to him, the business community considers the shortage of fitting platforms (FTPs) in Ukraine to be the main obstacle to further growth in container transportation volumes.
According to data provided by Tkachov, 27% of container traffic during the reporting period consisted of grain (26% for the first 8 months of 2025), 15% (21%) to ferrous metals, 12% (10%) to oilcake and meal, and 6% each to synthetic resins and oil (5% and 7%, respectively, last year).
The expert noted that, against the backdrop of an overall decline in shipments, the share of container traffic in the total cargo volume rose to a record high of 4.4% over the past year.
Tkachov added that the “Liski” branch of the Central Transport Service (CTS) presented a strategy for selling its own rolling stock, under which 60–80% of the FTL fleet is planned to be sold under long-term USTO contracts, and 20–40% through auctions or on general terms.
Currently, the operational fleet of the “Liski” branch of the Central Transport Service consists of 1,500 FTG units, of which 1,200 are 40-foot units, 265 are 60-foot units, and 48 are 80-foot units.
A representative of “Ukrzaliznytsia” noted that due to increased demand for fitting platforms, the branch has begun selling its scarce fleet through “Prozorro.Sales” auctions.
According to the post, business representatives raised concerns regarding the mechanisms for allocating the railcar fleet between long-term USTO contracts and auctions, suggesting that these mechanisms be revised to account for the specific nature of container transportation. To resolve the issue, meeting participants agreed to transition to long-term cooperation regarding the provision of container railcars under USTO contracts. Company representatives were asked to submit requests within a week detailing their FTT needs for 2026–2027, while “Ukrzaliznytsia” plans to conclude the relevant contracts with all interested companies as soon as possible.
“Having signed USTO contracts will allow us to plan the repair of Ukrzaliznytsia’s freight train fleet, taking into account existing repair capacities,” explained the director of Ukrzaliznytsia’s Department of Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations.
In addition, business representatives proposed considering the possibility of leasing FPTs from the non-operational fleet, assuming the costs of their repairs.
Among other issues, the business community cited incorrect preparation of accompanying documents and charges during export and import shipments at western border crossings, as well as congestion at the “Yagodin-Dorohusk” and “Mostyska-2-Medika” crossings, Tkachov reported.
CONTAINER, LOGISTICS, TRANSPORTATION, UKRAINE, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
