Ukraine has made proposals to Slovakia and Romania on transportation of goods from one country to another through the Zakarpattia region via the Halmeu/Dyakovo-Batevo-Korolevo-Chop/Cierna nad Tisou railway stretch, which has both broad- and narrow-gauge tracks. A Ukrainian delegation made this proposal to Romanians during negotiations between the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and representatives of Romania’s Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition, authorized representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure presented to the Romanian delegation a draft agreement between the governments of Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania on organization of freight transportation by rail through the broad-gauge (1435 mm) railway stretch Halmeu/Dyakovo-Batevo-Korolevo-Chop/Cierna nad Tisou.
The Halmeu/Dyakovo-Batevo-Korolevo-Chop/Cierna nad Tisou railway stretch is combined, i.e. it is capable of handling railcars with the 1520-mm and 1435-mm track gauges. This makes it possible to organize uninterrupted transportation of goods from Romania to Slovakia and further to Europe without the use of reloading terminals and without the replacement of railcar bogies.
The Halmeu/Dyakovo-Batevo-Korolevo-Chop/Cierna nad Tisou railway stretch was originally built with a track gauge of 1435 mm. The majority of the rail tracks were rebuilt after the Second World War, when Zakarpattia transferred to the Soviet Union, but the 1435-mm track gauge was preserved on this stretch and wide-gauge rail tracks were laid alongside it. Coal was transported from Romania to Czechoslovakia along these tracks during the Cold War. Currently, freight is practically not transported on the Halmeu/Dyakovo-Batevo-Korolevo-Chop/Cierna nad Tisou railway stretch.
