The first train that will begin operating on the railway line between Warsaw and Rava-Ruska (with transfers to Lviv) in the coming months has begun test operation.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure announced this in a statement, the CFTS portal reports.
Ukrainian and Polish railways began joint test operation of the train on the Lublin - Rava-Ruska route, which uses a 1435 mm track gauge, on 5 April.
For passengers on the Polish route, Rava-Ruska (Lviv region) will be a convenient station for transfers from trains on the European-gauge tracks to trains operated by the Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia). Ukrzaliznytsia will transport passengers to Lviv on trains operating on Ukrainian-gauge tracks.
"The launch of a railway link between Warsaw, Lublin, Rava-Ruska, and Lviv will allow us to meet Ukrainians’ huge demand for convenient railway logistics to and from the Polish capital, as well as to relieve the load on automobile border crossings. We are working to bring our countries even closer to each other," said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction/Minister of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.
The rehabilitated railway border crossing in Rava-Ruska has not handled passengers for over 20 years.
Ukrzaliznytsia rebuilt an 8.4-kilometer railway section that uses European-gauge tracks and renovated the Rava-Ruska railway station.
After the test operation, Poland will need several months to establish full-fledged customs and border controls and complete formalities, after which the date of the launch of regular railway services will be announced.
As reported, rolling stock (SN84) belonging to the Polish company Stowarzyszenie Kolejowych Przewozów Lokalnych is performing the test operation of the train on the railway section.
