Ukrainian Railways built and electrified a record length of tracks in 2022
In 2022, Ukrzaliznytsia reconstructed and overhauled 470 kilometres of railway track, and electrified another 82 kilometres, a record for the Ukrainian infrastructure manager. Connections to neighbouring European countries played a key role in its efforts.
“The electrification is a record figure for the last 10 years. Between 2013 and 2020, Ukrzaliznytsia electrified an average of only three kilometres of tracks per year”, CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia Oleksandr Kamyshin highlighted. “We have also rebuilt a record length of tracks over the past four years.”
The efforts to restore the infrastructure destroyed by Russia comes on top of the mentioned figures. Though on some occasions shelled railway tracks can be used again after hours, larger structures that are damaged such as bridges takes longer. Currently, 25 out of 69 destroyed bridges have been rebuilt, Ukrainian Railways said in an update this week.
Rail connections to Europe
Ukrainian Railways has also been active in restoring railway infrastructure to neighbouring countries, with border crossings in the west with the EU and in the south with Moldova. Specifically, the Rava-Ruska section near the Polish border was restored, which will allow for direct passenger traffic between Lviv region and Warsaw and Lublin in the future.
Also reconstructed last year were two railroad sections on line 102, connecting the Ukrainian town of Khyriv with Przemysl in Poland. In the future, this will be the fastest route between several counties of the Polish Podkarpackie Voivodeship. In addition, the railway in standard European gauge (1435 mm) has been repaired and traffic has resumed on the 70-kilometre section from Kovel-Yahodyn to the Polish border. This means Ukraine has two additional crossings into Poland via rail, which will increase the export and import potential of the country.
“Romania busiest direction in the future”
On the route to Romania, the section from Rakhiv to Berlebash was reopened. To make this possible, in 2022 Ukrzaliznytsia repaired 19.2 kilometers of tracks and 12 bridges on the Rakhiv-Dilove-Valia Viseului section, as well as renovated the Rakhiv station. This section has not actually been in operation since 2011. The section from Teresva to the border has been restored as well. These are additional routes between Ukraine and Romania, and make up the third and fourth junctions on the border with Romania.
Ukrainian Railways calls this “the busiest direction in the future”, saying the works also open up prospects for international routes and new passenger routes between Uzhhorod and Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi.
Thanks to the projects implemented last year, Ukraine now also has a convenient rail connection with Moldova on the Berezyne-Basarabeasca section. This section provides an alternative connection to the Danube ports of Reni and Izmail.
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Any sustainable overhauling/construction , now shall prove resilient – and electrification redundant!
For added capacity and added utilisation, of vast existing assets, bottlenecks now plaguing, as well IM:s as clients, should be outed!
(“Voids” and “hung sleepers” is not optimal.
Neither is overhead el supply, as currently!)
What an incredible achievement in a country under continuous attack by russia!