The Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) has launched the operation of two passenger trains, following their modernization at the Kyiv Electric Railcar Repair Plant.
The Ministry of Infrastructure announced this in a statement, the CFTS portal reports.
A modernized Skoda electric train has begun operating on the Kyiv - Rivne - Lutsk route while a suburban electric train has been launched on the Kyiv - Bila Tserkva route, which was upgraded under the Kyiv City Express commuter train project.
"We continue to implement the rolling-stock upgrade plans that were outlined last year. It is important to say that these trains were modernized at a Ukrainian enterprise, Ukrzaliznytsia’s Kyiv Electric Car Repair Plant. This means direct support for the domestic industry and economy: thousands of jobs saved and employee salaries paid. It is worth noting that the upgrade is taking place in compliance with the principles of barrier-free accessibility and convenience for people with limited mobility," Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
According to the statement, the Skoda train that was launched on the Kyiv - Rivne - Lutsk route consists of six double-decker cars and has 636 seats. The train is inclusive and allows convenient transportation of passengers with children and cyclists. It is capable of transporting about 40,000 passengers per month.
The modernized Kyiv City Express train from Kyiv to Bila Tserkva will operate on the busiest route in the Kyiv region, the Fastiv route. The occupancy is currently 80% in 25 pairs of trains on this route, while the average age of its cars is 30 years. Like Skoda, this modernized train is inclusive and offers comfortable transportation of passengers with children and cyclists.
"Its launch will improve the quality of commuting for over 20,000 Ukrainians who travel in the direction of Fastiv every day," the ministry said.
