Ukrainian Railways
The history of Ukrainian railways began in 1861, when the first railway line appeared on the country’s territory, connecting Lviv with the Polish city of Przemysl. Three years later, another Odessa-Balta line was laid, which was soon extended to Kyiv. The modern Ukrainian railway is a legacy of the Soviet Union, which ended up on the territory of Ukraine at the time of the collapse of the USSR.
Contents of the article:
Ukrainian railway network
Ukrzaliznytsia has a developed transport network. Within the country it is represented by six railways:
- South-West (center – Kyiv);
- Yuzhny (Kharkov);
- Lvovskaya (Lviv);
- Pridneprovskaya (Dnieper);
- Odesskaya (Odessa);
- Donetsk (Liman).
The minimum density of the railway network is observed in the north of the country, the maximum in the east.
In international transportation, the Ukrainian Railway directly borders and, accordingly, cooperates with such countries as Hungary, Romania, Poland, Moldova, Belarus and Slovakia.
Trains of the Ukrainian railway
For intercity communication within the country, Ukrzaliznytsia offers several types of trains.
- Intercity – high-speed daytime trains with seats. They run from Kyiv to several nearby regional centers of the country (Sumy, Kherson, Odessa, Kharkov, Lviv, etc.). Travel time is up to 6 hours;
- Night trains – branded or regular overnight sleeper trains. Travel between major cities of the country;
- Passenger trains are low-speed passenger trains with many stops in small towns along the route;
- Suburban trains are trains connecting regional centers with small towns in the surrounding region.
Ukrzaliznytsia service standards
The railway in Ukraine is the most accessible and convenient form of transport. The fare is low and depends on the type of train and carriage.
High-speed day trains with seats run between major cities of Ukraine, as well as night trains, which have three types of cars – compartment, reserved seat and luxury car (SV).
The standard service includes air-conditioning of carriages, sale of printed materials, drinks and light snacks for a fee, provision of bed linen (for night trains), broadcasting of audio and video programs during the trip.
PJSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” is constantly working to improve the quality of its railways. This applies both to the railway track itself and to the quality of the trains and their service.
Schedule and tickets for trains in Ukraine
The current train schedule of Ukrainian Railways can be found on the website https://proizd. ua/ru you can also book your ticket there.
Tickets can be pre-ordered by phone. Currently, you can buy a ticket for a Ukrainian Railways train at ticket offices located throughout the country. There are plans to launch online ticket sales in the near future. Within Kyiv, the service of ordering a ticket by phone with subsequent delivery is available.
