"A historic step on the way to the EU". Euro-gauge railway opened in Uzhhorod – video, photos

A European-standard railway line between Chop and Uzhhorod stations was opened in Uzhhorod. The ceremony was attended by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, representatives of the European Union, the European Investment Bank, and foreign railway companies.

"Uzhhorod has become the first regional center to be connected to Bratislava, Kosice, Budapest, and Vienna by a new railway line," the president said.

There is still a lot of work to be done, Zelensky added: the development of the European railway to Lviv, and the development of rail links in other areas.

"It is very important that during the war, despite all the challenges, we are implementing projects that unite. I thank our railroaders, everyone who worked for this result, for this project, jointly with European partners," Zelensky added.

"This is a historic step towards integration with the EU. Especially in wartime, when the railroad is a vital artery for the economy and for Ukrainians, strengthening these transport links is more important than ever," citation eIB Vice President Teresa Cervinska to the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia.

The importance of this project for the development of the European railway network in Ukraine was also emphasized by the Chairman of the Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia Oleksandr Pertsovsky.

According to him, it is planned to electrify the section between Uzhhorod and Chop in 2026 and to begin construction of the European railway in the direction of Lviv, which is to be completed within two to three years.

The new 22 km long section is the first project of this scale in the history of independent Ukraine, reported at the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.

The total cost of construction amounted to UAH 1.3 billion, of which half was financed by an EU grant under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program, and another 50% by a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Direct passenger trains to Bratislava, Vienna, and Budapest will start running from Uzhhorod on September 12. Ticket sales will open on September 5.

The construction of the Chop-Uzhhorod railroad was the first stage of the large-scale integration of the Ukrainian railroad into the European network.

The next steps are to connect Uzhhorod with Lviv with a 1435 mm gauge railway and to build the Sknyliv – Mostyska-2 section, which will open a direct route from Lviv to Poland and other EU countries. For this purpose, the European Union has already allocated EUR 76 million in grants under the CEF program.

Ukrzaliznytsia laid the European gauge between Chop and Uzhhorod in less than a year. From now on, two parallel lines operate between the cities: a 1520 mm wide line and a 1435 mm European gauge.

• on May 24, 2022, the Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal announced the ukraine's intention to switch to the European gauge standard. Initially, the European gauge will connect major railway junctions and large cities, and then the network will be gradually expanded throughout the country.