UZHHOROD, Ukraine — Ukraine has opened its first standard-gauge rail line, the first step in better integration of the country’s rail system with its European neighbors.
The European Union’s Delegation to Ukraine announced Friday that the 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) route of national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia connects the Western Ukrainian cities of Uzhhorod, on the border with Slovakia, to Chop, near the border with Hungary. It will allow direct passenger service to a number of European cities, as well as freight traffic without transloading. The €28.6 million ($33.5 million) project was funded through a loan from the European Investment Bank and an EU grant under its Connecting Europe Facility.
“This is a historic step towards EU integration,” European Investment Bank Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said in a press release. “Especially in wartime, when railways serve as a vital lifeline for Ukraine’s economy and people, strengthening these transport links is more important than ever.”
Construction of the new line began in 2024. The rest of the Ukraine rail network is Russian-standard 5-foot gauge.
“This is an important stage in developing a European railway network in Ukraine, and we will continue to build at an even faster pace,” said Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, chairman of the Ukrzaliznytsia management board. “Already in 2026, we plan to electrify this section and begin construction of the European-gauge line towards Lviv, which we intend to complete within two to three years. With this project, Ukrainian railway workers impressed our European partners — despite the war, we managed to deliver it ahead of schedule.”
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kubela, on hand in Uzhhorod with President Volodymyr Zelensky to mark the opening of the line, said that as of Sept. 12, trains for Budapest; Vienna; and Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia, would originate and terminate at the Uzhhorod station.
