Passenger trains from Uzhhorod to Bratislava, Prague, Vienna, Dresden, and Bucharest will be able to run on European standard-gauge tracks from 2025.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Finance Oleksandr Kava announced this at the sixth international conference “Manufacturing, Operation, and Maintenance of Rolling Stock,” a CFTS correspondent portal reports.
In general, the laying of European-gauge tracks on the Chop - Uzhhorod railway section is expected to be completed by the beginning of the third quarter of 2025.
“Active work is currently underway on the Chop-Uzhhorod section. I hope that next year passenger trains will be able to run from Uzhhorod to Bratislava, Prague, Vienna, Dresden, and Bucharest on European-gauge railway tracks. The ability to do this exists, and passengers will be checked at the Uzhhorod railway station.”
As the CFTS portal reported previously, the Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (JSC Ukrzaliznytsia) has launched a strategic program to expand European standard-gauge railways in Ukraine. As part of this program, the active phase of the construction of European-gauge tracks between Chop and Uzhhorod is currently underway. Ukrzaliznytsia is relaying and aligning broad-gauge tracks on the Strumkivka - Chop railway stretch, where a parallel European-gauge track will also be laid.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, 3.5 kilometers of the required 8.3 kilometers of track have already been laid. The work is expected to be completed this year. In addition, a bridge has been repaired, and related utility lines are being upgraded.
"Over the past year, we have laid the groundwork for the implementation of several infrastructure projects related to European integration. In particular, we have secured the financing, prepared the design documentation, and already begun implementing some of these projects. The largest of these projects is the construction of a European-gauge railway between Uzhhorod and Chop, which Ukrzaliznytsia should complete on schedule," said Yevhen Liaschenko, chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia.
There will be two parallel tracks between Uzhhorod and Chop: a broad-gauge (1520 mm) and European-gauge (1435 mm) tracks.
The total cost of the project is UAH 1.3 billion, 50% of which will be provided through the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant program. Ukrzaliznytsia secured the opportunity to implement this project by successfully participating in the CEF project selection competition in 2022.
