“Ukrzaliznytsia” has no plans to reduce routes to frontline regions yet. Restrictions are possible if the security situation worsens

“Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) has no plans to reduce the number of trains to frontline regions yet. “Ukrzaliznytsia” will draw up the train schedule in October-November, and it is planned to approve it in early December, and it will depend on the security situation.

Babel was informed about this by the UZ press service in response to a request.

Last week, a number of large Telegram channels began spreading information that in 2027, trains to Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, partially Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv regions, and all of Kherson will cease to operate.

There were also statements that major disruptions to trains were expected throughout left-bank Ukraine, to Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Kropyvnytskyi, etc.

“Ukrzaliznytsia” does not confirm this information, although it admits that the situation has become dramatically more complicated at the end of the summer due to new massive shelling. They do not rule out the possibility of limiting or changing routes in the event of significant damage to infrastructure, rolling stock, and a threat to passenger safety.

"Such decisions are made in an operational mode. Accordingly, after the situation in a particular region stabilizes or after the railway infrastructure is repaired, the issue of resuming train services in the usual mode may be considered. In case of an additional need for transportation (for example, evacuation of civilians) and if appropriate opportunities exist, additional flights may be assigned," UZ noted.

Meanwhile, the UZ Board Chairman Oleksandr Pertsovsky, during a telethon, called such statements in Telegram channels an information campaign against UZ.

"This has been our enemyʼs dream since the first day of the invasion, when extraordinary strikes were launched against the railway. And since then, there has not been a day when the railway (infrastructure or rolling stock) has not been under attack. Therefore, this is a dream and, apparently, both direct work against the railway and an information campaign are being conducted," he said.

Pertsovskyi assures that the railway will maintain the connection. He recalled that on September 15, the president reported combined routes (trains and buses) in places where the Russians are knocking out locomotive equipment and making the railway impassable.

"The railway will transform somewhere, offer new solutions somewhere, but it will definitely not leave frontline communities where it remains safely possible. The railway has no intentions of stopping rail connections throughout the country or cutting off Ukraineʼs connections with the world," the head of UZ added.

Pertsovsky also said that since the beginning of September alone, the Russians have attacked 22 locomotives. Two-thirds of these attacks were on passenger or commuter trains.

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