The acting board chairman of the Ukrainian Railways public joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia), Yevhen Kravtsov, provided information about the company’s plans for reforming its passenger transport division at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday, October 25.
In particular, Kravtsov said that Ukrzaliznytsia intends to repair 188 passenger sleeping cars before the end of 2017 and repair 310 in 2018. Together, these will constitute 1/6th of Ukrzaliznytsia’s fleet of sleeping cars, he said.
In addition, according to him, commuter trains are being overhauled. Ukrzaliznytsia will overhaul 93 commuter trains by the end of the year and overhaul 159 in 2018.
"Almost 20% of the fleet of electric trains will be upgraded, and it will be the largest upgrade in recent years," Kravtsov said.
According to him, suburban passenger diesel trains are in the most deplorable situation, with 99% depreciation. According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia is considering two options for upgrading them. The railway company plans to purchase about 11 new trains in 2018. Simultaneously, it is studying the possibility of acquiring used suburban diesel trains abroad.
As reported, Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelian announced has announced that the Deutsche Bahn company (Germany) is ready to consider the possibility of supplying 100 used regional diesel trains with air conditioners and vacuum toilets to Ukraine at residual cost. According to him, experts from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ukrzaliznytsia are expected to visit Germany to analyze the cost of re-equipping the rolling stock.
