The State Railway Administration (Ukrzaliznytsia) is unable to send freight cars to more than 50 stations on the Donetsk Railway because of destruction of infrastructure (bridges, viaducts, tracks, and catenary networks). This applies to the main Chaplynsky railway route from Donetsk to the western regions of Ukraine, which 70% of freight trains ply, the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia said.
The train stations Amvrosievka, Artemovsk, Antratsit, Borisovka, Voskresenskaya, Gorlovka, Debaltsevo, Dolzhanskaya, Kommunarsk, Kurdyumovka, Lugansk, Lutugino, Popasnaya, Rassypnaya, Starobelsk, Stakhanov, Shterovka, and others are now closed. Freight cars are not sent to these stations because Ukrzaliznytsia has imposed conventional restrictions on freight transportation.
The Chaplino station is located at the junction of the Prydniprovsk and Donetsk railways. Previously, most goods from the Donbass area to other regions of Ukraine were transported through the Donetsk-Krasnoarmeysk-Chaplino route. Due to damaged infrastructure, goods are now routed through Yasinovataya-Konstantinovka-Saovyansk-Lozovaya to Mariupol. However, this allows transportation of only 40% of the Donetsk Railway’s goods.
In addition, freight stations and stretches of railway near Donetsk are not operating at full capacity because of significant damage. For example, the Debaltsevo station currently remains rigged with explosives. The infrastructure at the Yasinovataya station, which is one of the largest freight stations in Ukraine, has been damaged. One of the three tracks on the railway stretch between Donetsk and Yasinovataya and one of the four tracks on the stretch between Yasinovataya and the Donetsk-Severny station are in operation.
Railway workers are working in arduous and dangerous conditions, and they are doing everything possible not to prevent disruption of the movement of trains, Ukrzaliznytsia said.
