Ministries and government agencies have developed a mechanism for purchase of 70 passenger wagons and three diesel trains for the Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia). They plan to purchase the rolling stock will funds from the Ukrainian Export-Import Bank (Ukreximbank).

Kyrylo Khomiakov, the head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects, announced this in an interview with the CFTS portal.

In particular, according to him, the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects is currently establishing a project finance office. This office will be staffed by a team of financial experts, who will help the Ministry of Infrastructure’s management organizations to implement international projects involving private partners, international partners, technical assistance programs, etc., and act as financial agents and consultants for such transactions.

As an example, Khomiakov cited the work on purchase of wagons for Ukrzaliznytsia. "For example, we are currently implementing a project involving purchase of wagons for Ukrzaliznytsia. A mechanism that will allow purchase of passenger wagons for Ukrzaliznytsia with state-guaranteed credit funds from Ukreximbank has been developed for representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance, the State Property Fund, the State Agency for Infrastructural Projects, and the Fininpro state enterprise," he said.

Khomiakov did not provide details of the project. "I would not like to disclose details now, but I think we will have a complete algorithm that I can tell you about in a month," he said.

Asked about the kind of wagons he was talking about, Khomiakov said, "We are talking about 70 passenger wagons and three diesel trains."

During a visit to the Kryukov Railcar Building Works in March this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklyi announced that 3 diesel trains and 90 passenger wagons would be purchased from the Kryukov Railcar Building Works in 2020.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in July that 20 out of the 90 wagons had already been produced and that payment had been made for them. However, officials at the Kryukov Railcar Building Works said he was talking about purchase of 20 wagons built under a contract that was signed back in 2018. "Twenty new passenger wagons manufactured for Ukrzaliznytsia under contracts concluded in 2018 have been in storage at the Kryukov Railcar Building Works for more than a year, awaiting acceptance... Ukrzaliznytsia's financial plan for 2020 was approved on July 27. Ukreximbank representatives are currently taking delivery of the passenger wagons that were manufactured under the 2018 contract. An order for 70 additional passenger cars was announced," the company said at the time.

After that, Shmyhal asked the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry of Finance to explore the possibility of placing an order for at least 70 additional wagons with the Kryukov Railcar Building Works in 2020.