Ukrzaliznytsia has started the construction of the European gauge track Chop-Uzhgorod.
On April 11, 2024, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and the Chairman of the Board of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” Yevhen Lyashchenko, the first link of the rail-sleeper grid of the new European gauge track was laid. This is part of a strategic program for the development of railway infrastructure to integrate Ukraine into the EU. “Today we are launching the construction of an important project – the creation of the first European gauge track from Chop to Uzhgorod. This project will not only improve passenger connectivity and redistribute passenger flow, but it will also provide new logistics opportunities for cargo transportation and ease the load on road checkpoints. Uzhgorod becomes the first regional center to receive European-standard rail connections,” emphasized Denys Shmyhal. Yevhen Lyashchenko, the head of Ukrzaliznytsia, clarified that the preparatory work is nearing completion, and the main construction phase will begin in May. “The project documentation and feasibility study were developed with state budget funds in 2021-2022. The project will be implemented with 50% grant co-financing from the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Ukrzaliznytsia was able to implement this project as a result of successfully participating in the CEF project competition in 2022. The total project cost is 1.3 billion UAH, with a project execution period of 14 months,” said Yevhen Lyashchenko. The project includes:
- the construction of 22 km of European standard railway track;
- reconstruction of artificial structures, facilities, and engineering networks;
- equipping the track with two-way semi-automatic blocking and microprocessor-based dispatch centralization devices.
The project’s implementation will allow the launch of direct passenger routes using the European gauge from Uzhgorod to European countries, as well as transfers from trains from all regions of Ukraine for further travel across Europe. Additionally, the next stage involves the electrification of the new 1435 mm European gauge track on the Chop-Uzhgorod section. Yevhen Lyashchenko reported that Ukrzaliznytsia has applied to participate in a new CEF project competition for grant co-financing. There are also plans to conduct a feasibility study for the possible extension of the European gauge track from Uzhgorod to Lviv, which will be an important step for connecting Lviv to two European Transport Corridors TEN-T – the Rhine-Danube and the Mediterranean.
Based on materials from the Information Agency Rail.insider
12.04.2024