The Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) transported more passengers on the route between Ukraine and the European Union in the first five months of 2023 than it transported in the same period in the four previous, pre-COVID years.
Ukrzaliznytsia announced this in a statement, the CFTS portal reports.
"Thus, about 735,000 passengers traveled by rail to the EU and back during the first five months in the period from 2016 to 2019 and 786,000 passengers from January to May 2023," the statement said.
According to the company, there is also a clear trend of Ukrainians returning home: 369,000 people have traveled out of Ukraine since the beginning of 2023 while 417,000 have traveled in the opposite direction.
Only eight trains were operating on the Ukraine-EU route in 2016. Now, 27 are operating, including 15 operated by Ukrzaliznytsia and the rest by foreign railways.
"Given the increase in demand for rail travel because of the full-scale invasion by the terrorist state, Ukrzaliznytsia began expanding its network of connections with other countries last year: seven new trains allow passengers to travel abroad more conveniently and quickly," the company said.
They include the trains No. 19/20 Kyiv - Chelm (runs daily); No. 23/24 Kyiv - Chelm (daily); No. 32/31 Zaporizhia - Przemyśl (daily); No. 53/54 Kyiv - Przemyśl (daily); No. 89/90 Kyiv - Przemyśl (daily); No. 73/74 Kharkiv - Przemyśl (every other day); No. 93/94 Kharkiv - Chelm (every other day).
